Court Street was designed as a major street leading northeast from the Des Moines River to 6th Street, the original city limits, where it turned slightly and continued due north into the countryside. This appears to be the road that was authorized by the Iowa Legislature in February 1844 to extend from the southern line of Davis County to the northern line of Wapello County, touching both county seats. It was later part of U.S. Highway 63.

The earliest remaining houses in the Court Hill District date from the period 1865-75 and represent various aspects of the Italianate architecture style. The neo-classical design house pictured at the left was built between 1865 and 1870 for Major Charles and Tabitha Fulton.

The first electric streetcar was put into service on Court Street in 1889. The street was bricked during the summers of 1890 and 1891. The streetcar and the brick streets spurred a boom in housing construction between 1890 and 1915. Houses built in this period favored the Queen Anne and Neo-classical design styles. For many years (as late as 1942) steam heat was available in Ottumwa through a central system. The main steam pipes ran up the middle of Court Street hill, thus ensuring that the street was never snow-covered or slick in the winter. Court was the only street in town that you could always get up in the winter.

A fine example of a brick residence is shown at the right. The Italianate style house was built in the early 1880's for W.R. Daum (of the Electric Street Railway). It features a tower, bracketed cornice, and a two-story bay to one side. The windows have simple segmental arches of cream colored brick, with the same brick used for quoining at the corners, and a decorative pattern between the cornice brackets.

A number of houses in the Court Hill District retain a high level of integrity, while others have been altered over the years. There has been little demolition of historic house, and almost no new construction. The conversion of many multi-family housing during World War II had a major impact on the integrity. Recent years have seen a return to single family status for several of the houses, with a growing awareness of Ottumwa's heritage. Pictured at the left is the W.T. Harper house built in the 1880's in the High Victorian Italianate style. Although it is now painted white, originally it was of deep red brick with cast hoodmolds, limestone trim, and a bracketed cornice. The mansard roof is pierced by dormers, as is the tower roof.

The J.C. Jordan house is pictured on the right. It was built in 1889 and has retained an extraordinary level of integrity. It is an excellent example of Queen Anne design with its irregular roof shapes, multiple porches, and highly decorative surface.

1891 was an important year in the history of the Court Hill neighborhood. It was the year that Court Street was paved from 6th Street to Woodland Avenue. A number of houses were constructed in the 1890's, most of which had some elements of Queen Anne style.

A good example of Queen Anne design is the W.H. Cooper residence built in 1892. While no architect has been determined, it could well have been the work of one of Ottumwa's local architects, or built from mail order plans. It is a classic example of the style with an irregular roof line, multiple porches, and a rounded corner tower. Around 1915 the wrap-around porch was replaced by the two current porches which feature the popular diagonal star pattern often used in the windows of public buildings and banks.

The house at the right is thought to have been constructed c.1900 and illustrates how effectively classical details can be applied to a simple hip roof box. The pilastered corners, and porches with Ionic columns are strong design elements. The dormers feature baroque pediments.

This two and one-half story house was constructed c.1910 as a tri-plex. It was built for Tabitha Fulton who lived next door in the large 1860's brick house. She wanted to leave the big house for her children and family, but wanted a fine place to live nearby. This was basically a luxury apartment building when it was built. It features a full two story portico on the side gable, with full pediment above the Doric columns. A second floor porch, with balustrade, is set inside the columns

An example of Queen Anne design from the 1890's is the residence of grocer Otto Brenhorst.

At the far northern end of the Court Hill Historic District, newspaper publisher A.H. Hamilton had a rather subdued Queen Anne residence built c.1891. It uses the classic details associated with Free Classic Queen Anne in its porches, as well as the Palladian window in the front dormer.
 

The early decades of the 20th century saw the popularity of simple two story houses with entries on the gable end. These houses usually had a broad porch across the facade. Some had classical elements, like the house pictured at the right.

 

The house on the left is the Calhoun house and was built in 1896. It was designed by Fisher and Lowrie of Omaha, Nebraska.

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