QUINCY, ILLINOIS HAS SEVERAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS which display the architecture of the city’s rich history. Known as the Gem City, Quincy’s earliest days of development include a remarkable number of pre-Civil War buildings that exist today. Many Federal and Greek Revival style homes and commercial structures built as early as the 1830s can be found in and around the core of the city’s Downtown Historic District. A strong preservation ethic has helped to maintain these brick, stone and timber gems for generations to come.