North Ave in Naperville Historic District. (Wikipedia photo)

The Naperville Historic District is a set of 613 buildings. Of these 613 buildings, 544 contribute to the historical integrity of the area.

The district represents the town as it was originally platted and a few early additions and is roughly bounded by Juilian, Highland, Chicago, Jackson, Eagle, and 5th Sts.
Stephen Scott established a farm on the DuPage River in 1830, marking the first settlement in what would become Naperville. A sawmill, grist mill, trading post, and school were erected soon after several other families migrated to the land. By 1832, 180 residents lived in the Naperville region. The village was briefly abandoned in 1832 as families fled to Fort Dearborn during the Black Hawk War, but most returned after fighting had ceased. The first post office was constructed in 1833. The Galena Road between Chicago and Galena opened in 1834 and brought commerce to the area. In the 1850s through the early 1870s,
Naperville primarily found economic success through the management of local resources. Stone quarries exported limestone, breweries produced alcohol, and three separate plant nurseries flourished. Other important industries were Naperville Agricultural, producing farming equipment, and Martin Mitchell's Naperville Title and Brick Works. By World War I, the largest employer was Naperville Manufacturing Co., which eventually became of the nation's leading furniture exporters.