Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Encyclopedia
The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois
. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining most State-owned historic site
s within Illinois, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors.
Jan Grimes is the current Director of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
in Springfield, Illinois
, in 1865.
During the 20th century, the state of Illinois acquired and restored a wide variety of historic properties throughout the state. One key asset, the village of Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site at New Salem (Menard County), Illinois
, was reconstructed in the 1930s.
The IHPA continued to grow after its creation in 1985, largely because of continued public interest in Lincoln as the bicentennial of his birth approached in 2009. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
, also in Springfield, Illinois, was dedicated in 2005. Unlike most presidential libraries, the Lincoln Library is state-owned.
In addition to those above owned and operated by Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, other historic sites operated by other Illinois state agencies include:
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining most State-owned historic site
Historic site
A historic site is an official location where pieces of political, military or social history have been preserved. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have recognized with the official national historic site status...
s within Illinois, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors.
Jan Grimes is the current Director of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
History of agency
The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) was created by State law in July 1985. The agency's oldest bureau, the Illinois State Historical Library, was created in 1889, but the origins of the agency could be said to date back to the burial of U.S. President Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, in 1865.
During the 20th century, the state of Illinois acquired and restored a wide variety of historic properties throughout the state. One key asset, the village of Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site at New Salem (Menard County), Illinois
New Salem (Menard County), Illinois
New Salem is the historically recreated townsite of Abraham Lincoln's, 19th century, frontier village in Menard County , Illinois, United States. During his 20s, in the 1830's, this was the homestead of the future U.S. President...
, was reconstructed in the 1930s.
The IHPA continued to grow after its creation in 1985, largely because of continued public interest in Lincoln as the bicentennial of his birth approached in 2009. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, and the course of the American Civil War. Combining traditional scholarship with 21st century showmanship techniques, the popular museum continues to rank as one of the most visited...
, also in Springfield, Illinois, was dedicated in 2005. Unlike most presidential libraries, the Lincoln Library is state-owned.
List of Illinois State Historic Sites
The following is an alphabetical listing of the more than 50 Illinois State Historic Sites that are under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency:- Albany Mounds State Historic SiteAlbany Mounds State Historic SiteAlbany Mounds State Historic Site, also known as Albany Mounds Site, is a historic site operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974....
, Whiteside County - Apple River Fort State Historic Site, Jo Daviess CountyJo Daviess County, IllinoisJo Daviess County is a county located in the northwest corner of U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,678, which is an increase of 1.7% from 22,289 in 2000. Its county seat is Galena....
- Bishop Hill State Historic SiteBishop Hill State Historic SiteBishop Hill State Historic Site was the site of a utopian religious community founded in 1846 by Swedish pietist Eric Janson in Bishop Hill, Illinois...
, Henry CountyHenry County, IllinoisHenry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 50,486, which is a decrease of 1.0% from 51,020 in 2000. Its county seat is Cambridge... - Black Hawk State Historic SiteBlack Hawk State Historic SiteThe Black Hawk State Historic Site, in Rock Island, Illinois, occupies much of the historic site of the village of Saukenuk, the home of a band of Native Americans of the Sauk nation. It includes the John Hauberg Museum of Native American Life. The state park is located on a 150-foot bluff...
, Rock Island County - Bryant Cottage State Historic SiteBryant Cottage State Historic SiteThe Bryant Cottage State Historic Site is a simple, 1856 four-room house located in Bement, Illinois in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is preserved by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency as an example of Piatt County, Illinois pioneer architecture and as a key historic site in the 1858...
, Piatt County - Buel House, Pope County
- Cahokia Courthouse State Historic SiteCahokia Courthouse State Historic SiteThe Cahokia Courthouse State Historic Site is a reconstructed French-Canadian structure built about 1740 at what is now 107 Elm Street, Cahokia, Illinois. At various times it has served as a house and as a courthouse. It is currently interpreted to resemble its appearance about 1800 as a frontier...
, St. Clair CountySt. Clair County, IllinoisSt. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is... - Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Madison CountyMadison County, IllinoisMadison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to...
and St. Clair CountySt. Clair County, IllinoisSt. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is... - Campbell's Island State MemorialCampbell's Island State MemorialCampbell's Island State Memorial is a granite monument that marks the site of a day-long battle on July 19, 1814 during the War of 1812 on Campbell's Island, Illinois. Dedicated in 1908, the monument is maintained by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency as a national historic site.-External...
, Rock Island CountyRock Island County, IllinoisRock Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 147,546, which is a decrease of 1.2% from 149,374 in 2000. Its county seat is Rock Island... - Carl Sandburg State Historic SiteCarl Sandburg State Historic SiteCarl Sandburg State Historic Site was the birthplace and boyhood home of author Carl Sandburg in Galesburg, Illinois.It is operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency...
, Knox CountyKnox County, IllinoisKnox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 52,919, which is a decrease of 5.2% from 55,836 in 2000... - Dana-Thomas House State Historic SiteDana-Thomas House State Historic SiteThe Dana-Thomas House or Susan Lawrence Dana House or Dana House is an expression of architect Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style...
, Sangamon County - David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, McLean CountyMcLean County, IllinoisMcLean County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 169,572, which is an increase of 12.7% from 150,433 in 2000. Its county seat is...
- Douglas Tomb State Historic Site, Cook CountyCook County, IllinoisCook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
- Fort de Chartres State Historic Site, Randolph CountyRandolph County, IllinoisRandolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 33,476, which is a decrease of 1.2% from 33,893 in 2000. Its county seat is Chester....
- Fort Kaskaskia State Historic SiteFort Kaskaskia State Historic SiteFort Kaskaskia State Historic Site is a 200-acre park near Chester, Illinois, on a blufftop overlooking the Mississippi River. It commemorates the vanished frontier town of Old Kaskaskia and the support it gave to George Rogers Clark in the American Revolution.-An earthen redoubt:The village of...
, Randolph CountyRandolph County, IllinoisRandolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 33,476, which is a decrease of 1.2% from 33,893 in 2000. Its county seat is Chester.... - Governor Bond State MemorialGovernor Bond State MemorialGovernor Bond State Memorial is a granite monument that marks the grave of Shadrach Bond, the first governor of Illinois after it became a state in 1818. Born in Maryland, Bond settled in Monroe County, Illinois in 1794, and served as an Illinois Territory delegate to the U.S. House of...
, Randolph CountyRandolph County, IllinoisRandolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 33,476, which is a decrease of 1.2% from 33,893 in 2000. Its county seat is Chester.... - Governor Coles State MemorialGovernor Coles State MemorialGovernor Coles State Memorial is a concrete memorial dedicated to Edward Coles, the second governor of Illinois. Erected between 1928-1929, the memorial features a bronze portrait of Coles sculpted by Leon Hermant, and is maintained by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency as a state historic...
, Madison CountyMadison County, IllinoisMadison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to... - Governor Horner State MemorialGovernor Horner State MemorialGovernor Horner State Memorial is a granite monument dedicated to Henry Horner, a the thirtieth governor of Illinois who served from 1933 to 1940. The memorial stands in Horner Park in Chicago, Illinois at the corner of Montrose Avenue and California Avenue. It is maintained by the Illinois...
, Cook CountyCook County, IllinoisCook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than... - Grand Village of the IllinoisGrand Village of the IllinoisThe Grand Village of the Illinois, also called Old Kaskaskia Village, is a site significant for being the best documented historic Native American village in the Illinois River valley...
, LaSalle County (not open to the public) - Illinois Vietnam Veterans MemorialIllinois Vietnam Veterans MemorialIllinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the almost 12,864 Illinois residents who were killed or listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War. Dedicated in 1988, the Memorial includes the names of the dead or missing craved in black granite walls that radiate from the central eternal flame...
, Sangamon CountySangamon County, IllinoisSangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000... - Jarrot Mansion State Historic SiteJarrot Mansion State Historic SiteThe Nicholas Jarrot Mansion is a historic house built in the Federal style in 1807-1810. It is located at 124 East First Street in Cahokia, Illinois and is operated as an inactive historic site by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency...
, St. Clair CountySt. Clair County, IllinoisSt. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is... - Jubilee College State Historic Site, Peoria County
- Kaskaskia Bell State MemorialKaskaskia Bell State MemorialThe Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial is a 1948 brick building in Kaskaskia, Illinois that houses a bell cast in 1741 by King Louis XV of France as a gift to the Mission of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at Kaskaskia...
, Randolph CountyRandolph County, IllinoisRandolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 33,476, which is a decrease of 1.2% from 33,893 in 2000. Its county seat is Chester.... - Kincaid Mounds State Historic SiteKincaid Mounds State Historic SiteThe Kincaid Mounds Historic Site, circa 1050-1400 CE, was among the largest prehistoric Mississippian culture chiefdom centers, located at the southern tip of present day U.S. state of Illinois...
, Massac County - Lewis and Clark State Historic SiteLewis and Clark State Historic SiteThe Lewis and Clark State Historic Site opened in 2002 and is owned and operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. The site, located in Hartford, Illinois, commemorates Camp River Dubois, the camp of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from December 1803 to May 1804...
, Madison CountyMadison County, IllinoisMadison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to... - Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic SiteLincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic SiteThe Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic Site is a historic brick building built in 1841 in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located at 6th and Adams Streets in Springfield, Illinois...
, Sangamon County - Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic SiteLincoln Log Cabin State Historic SiteThe Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site is an 86-acre history park located eight miles south of Charleston, Illinois, U.S.A., near the town of Lerna. Its centerpiece is a replica of the log cabin built and occupied by Thomas Lincoln, father of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln...
, Coles County - Lincoln MonumentLincoln MonumentThe Lincoln Monument is a bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln that commemorates his 1832 service in the Black Hawk War. Located in President's Park in Dixon, Illinois, the bronze statue was sculpted by Leonard Crunelle and was dedicated on September 24, 1930...
, Lee County - Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, Sangamon CountySangamon County, IllinoisSangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
- Lincoln Trail State Memorial, Lawrence County
- Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site, Menard County
- Lovejoy State MemorialLovejoy State MemorialLovejoy State Memorial is operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. It commemorates abolitionist newspaper editor Elijah Parish Lovejoy, who was killed by a mob while defending his printing press at Alton on November 7, 1837. Dedicated in 1897, the memorial is located in Alton City...
, Madison CountyMadison County, IllinoisMadison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to... - Martin-Boismenue House, St. Clair CountySt. Clair County, IllinoisSt. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is...
- Metamora Courthouse State Historic SiteMetamora Courthouse State Historic SiteThe Metamora Courthouse State Historic Site is a historic American courthouse located in Metamora, Illinois, the former county seat of Woodford County. The courthouse was built in 1845 as the governmental center for Woodford County and as a circuit court for the former Illinois Eighth Circuit...
, Woodford County - Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic SiteMount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic SiteThe Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site is a historic county courthouse located in Mount Pulaski, Illinois, United States. It was the county seat of Logan County from 1848 until 1855. It is one of only two remaining courthouses from Illinois's Eighth Circuit, the circuit on which central...
, Logan CountyLogan County, IllinoisLogan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 30,305, which is a decrease of 2.8% from 31,183 in 2000... - Norwegian Settlers Memorial, La Salle CountyLa Salle County, IllinoisLaSalle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 113,924, which is an increase of 2.2% from 111,509 in 2000. Its county seat and largest city is Ottawa....
- Old Market House State Historic SiteOld Market House State Historic SiteThe Old Market House, currently being operated as the Galena Welcome Center, is a brick building built in the Greek Revival style in 1845 in Galena, Illinois...
, Jo Daviess CountyJo Daviess County, IllinoisJo Daviess County is a county located in the northwest corner of U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,678, which is an increase of 1.7% from 22,289 in 2000. Its county seat is Galena.... - Old State Capitol State Historic SiteOld State Capitol State Historic SiteThe Old State Capitol State Historic Site, in Springfield, Illinois, is the fifth capitol building built for the U.S. state of Illinois. It was built in the Greek Revival style in 1837-40, and served as the state house in 1840-1876...
, Sangamon CountySangamon County, IllinoisSangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000... - Pierre Menard Home State Historic Site, Randolph CountyRandolph County, IllinoisRandolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 33,476, which is a decrease of 1.2% from 33,893 in 2000. Its county seat is Chester....
- Postville Courthouse State Historic SitePostville Courthouse State Historic SiteThe Postville Courthouse State Historic Site is a now-reconstructed county courthouse in Logan County, Illinois in the United States. The original frame courthouse was built in 1840, and the current courthouse, which is a close replica of the first, was built in 1953...
, Logan CountyLogan County, IllinoisLogan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 30,305, which is a decrease of 2.8% from 31,183 in 2000... - Pullman Site, including:
- Hotel FlorenceHotel FlorenceThe Hotel Florence is a former hotel located in the Pullman Historic District on the far south side of Chicago, Illinois. It was built in 1881 to a design by architect Solon Spencer Beman...
, Cook CountyCook County, IllinoisCook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than... - Rose HotelRose Hotel (Illinois)The Rose Hotel is a historic site owned by the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located in Elizabethtown, Illinois, on the banks of the Ohio River. The oldest wing of the hotel was built about 1830, with additions built about 1848 and 1866...
, Hardin County - Shawneetown Bank State Historic SiteShawneetown Bank State Historic SiteThe Shawneetown Bank State Historic Site is a historic bank building located in the U.S. state of Illinois. A Greek Revival structure built in 1839-1841 in Old Shawneetown, Illinois, the former Bank of Illinois is currently owned by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.-Pre-Civil War...
, Gallatin CountyGallatin County, IllinoisGallatin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,589, which is a decrease of 13.3% from 6,445 in 2000... - U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site, Jo Daviess CountyJo Daviess County, IllinoisJo Daviess County is a county located in the northwest corner of U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,678, which is an increase of 1.7% from 22,289 in 2000. Its county seat is Galena....
- Vachel Lindsay Home, Sangamon County
- Vandalia State House State Historic SiteVandalia State House State Historic SiteThe Vandalia State House, built in 1836, is the fourth capitol building of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is also the oldest capitol building in Illinois to survive, as the first, second, and third capitol buildings have all disappeared. The brick Federal style state house has been operated by...
, Fayette CountyFayette County, IllinoisFayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,140, which is an increase of 1.6% from 21,802 in 2000. Its county seat is Vandalia... - Washburne House State Historic SiteElihu Benjamin Washburne HouseThe Elihu Benjamin Washburne House is a Greek Revival house in the city of Galena, Illinois, USA. Constructed in 1844–45, the building was built for and owned by Elihu B. Washburne a nationally significant politician and Galena resident. The Washburne House was added to the U.S...
, Jo Daviess CountyJo Daviess County, IllinoisJo Daviess County is a county located in the northwest corner of U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,678, which is an increase of 1.7% from 22,289 in 2000. Its county seat is Galena.... - Wild Bill Hickok MemorialWild Bill Hickok MemorialWild Bill Hickok Memorial is a state historic site operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. It is located in a small park at the intersection of Main and Ottawa Streets in Troy Grove, Illinois...
, LaSalle County - World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial, Sangamon CountySangamon County, IllinoisSangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
In addition to those above owned and operated by Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, other historic sites operated by other Illinois state agencies include:
- Dickson MoundsDickson MoundsDickson Mounds is a Native American settlement site and burial mound complex near Lewistown, Illinois, is located in Fulton County on a low bluff overlooking the Illinois River. It is a large burial complex containing at least two cemeteries, ten burial mounds, and a platform mound. Dickson Mounds...
, operated by Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Fort Massac State Park, operated by Illinois Department of Natural Resources