Towerview
The neighborhood we call Towerview is located in the City of Racine, which is on Lake Michigan in the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor. Towerview is a 100-block residential neighborhood along Lake Michigan just south of Racine’s downtown center. It runs from 9th Street on the north to 21st Street on the south and from Lake Michigan west to approximately Racine Street.
From the 1850s to the 1920s many successful
entrepreneurs built their homes here.
Well-preserved Craftsman, Queen An
ne, Italianate,
ne, Italianate, Prairie, Cream City Brick, Greek and Classic Revival homes give the neighborhood its distinctive character. The internationally-known SC Johnson Research Tower , designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, stands in the center of Towerview. Towerview is part of the Southside Historic District, which has been on the National Registry of Historic Places since 1977.
To the east there are many public lakefront parks offering boat and canoe ramps, fishing, athletic fields, a skate park and historical exhibits. To the south an untouched wooded area known as Dekoven Woods provides a unique urban green space where neighbors can reserve a garden plot.
The Lake Michigan Pathway provides nine miles of lakefront access for cyclists and walkers. With a connection to the Root River pathway users have access to many attractions by bike or on foot. Just west of Towerview, the Root River Pathway, which extends four miles, provides a place where one can identify native plants and appreciate the ecology of the Root River system. The Gothic Revival Style Dekoven Center is situated on 40 acres and has a 150-year history in Racine. The DeKoven Center continues a legacy of education, spiritual reflection and recreation, promoting a variety of events and programs in the arts. The Center is open to the public and invites individuals and groups of all faiths.
The schools in the neighborhood are Fine Arts Stephen Bull Elementary School, Walden III High and Middle School and St. Catherine’s High School. Students at each school test above State and District averages. Towerview is also the home of the first vocational school in America. Today, Gateway Technical College is a community college of choice for academic achievement, occupational advancement, and personal development. Towerview was first inhabited by Italian, Lithuanian, Slovakian, Hungarian and Greek Immigrants. Today, the residents of Towerview’s tree-lined streets continue to represent the diversity of the City of Racine.