The Illinois Historic Preservation Division, formerly Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

, and is a division of the

Illinois Department of Natural Resources The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is the code department of the Illinois state government that operates the state parks and state recreation areas, enforces the fishing and game laws of Illinois, regulates Illinois coal mines ...

. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining State-owned

historic site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

s, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors or on-line users. In addition, it manages the process for applications within the state for additions to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

History of agency

The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) was created by State law in July 1985. What was 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 state's involvement in building and caring for the

Lincoln Tomb The Lincoln Tomb is the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States; his wife Mary Todd Lincoln; and three of their four sons: Edward, William, and Thomas. It is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfie ...

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,

Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site is a reconstruction of the former village of New Salem in Menard County, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1831 to 1837. While in his twenties, the future U.S. President made his living in this vi ...

in Menard County, a reconstruction of a village where Abraham Lincoln lived in the 1830s, was established in the 1930s. The agency also administers the

Cahokia The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in south- ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

which includes the largest

pre-columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...

construction in the Americas north of Mexico. 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 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 museum ...

(ALPLM), also in Springfield, Illinois, was dedicated in 2005. Unlike most presidential libraries, the Lincoln Library is state-owned. The proposed 2016 budget of Governor

Bruce Rauner Bruce Vincent Rauner (; born February 18, 1956) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 42nd governor of Illinois from 2015 to 2019. Prior to his election, he was the chairman of R8 Capital Partners and chai ...

sought to eliminate the agency, assigning its duties to the

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is the code department of the Illinois state government that sponsors statewide economic development, with special emphases on increasing minority entrepreneurship, promoting the ...

. Opponents of the move claimed that the Commerce Department had neither the expertise nor the interest to carry out the agency's functions and that any savings from the agency's 2015 budget of $15 million would be minimal. In 2017, the Agency was split, with the historic preservation and site management duties falling to a reorganized Division within the

(which manages State Parks and other resources), and the Library (ALPLM) becoming an independent agency.

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 Division: * Albany Mounds State Historic Site, Whiteside County * Apple River Fort State Historic Site,

Jo Daviess County Jo Daviess County () is the northwesternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 22,678. Its county seat is Galena. Jo Daviess County is part of the Tri-State Area and is located near D ...

* Bishop Hill State Historic Site, Henry County *

Black Hawk State Historic Site The Black Hawk State Historic Site, in Rock Island, Illinois, is adjacent to 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. T ...

, Rock Island County * Bryant Cottage State Historic Site, Piatt County * Buel House, Pope County *

Cahokia Courthouse State Historic Site The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in south- ...

, St. Clair County * Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Madison County and St. Clair County * Campbell's Island State Memorial, Rock Island County *

Carl Sandburg State Historic Site Carl Sandburg State Historic Site was the birthplace and boyhood home of author Carl Sandburg in Galesburg, Illinois, United States. It is operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Division. The site contains the cottage Sandburg was born in, ...

, Knox County * Crenshaw House, Gallatin County * Dana–Thomas House State Historic Site,

Sangamon County Sangamon County is located in the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 197,465. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, the state capital. Sangamon County is included in the S ...

* David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, McLean County * Douglas Tomb State Historic Site,

Cook County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...

* Fort de Chartres State Historic Site, Randolph County *

Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site is a 200-acre (0.8 km²) 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 R ...

, Randolph County * Governor Bond State Memorial, Randolph County * Governor Coles State Memorial, Madison County * Governor Horner State Memorial,

* Governor Small Memorial and Park, Kankakee County *

Grand Village of the Illinois The 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. It was a large agricultural and trading village of Native A ...

LaSalle County LaSalle County is located within the Fox Valley and Illinois River Valley regions of the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 Census, it had a population of 109,658. Its county seat and largest city is Ottawa. LaSalle County is part of the ...

(not open to the public) * Halfway Tavern, Marion County * Hofmann Tower,

* Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial,

** Purple Heart Memorial (Illinois) *

Jarrot Mansion State Historic Site The Nicholas Jarrot Mansion is a historic house at 124 East First Street in Cahokia Heights, Illinois and is operated as an inactive historic site by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA). It is a State Historic Site, is listed on the N ...

, St. Clair County * Jubilee College State Historic Site, Peoria County * Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial, Randolph County * Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site, Massac County * Korean War Memorial (Illinois),

* Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, Madison County * Lincoln–Herndon Law Offices State Historic Site,

Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site is an 86-acre (0.3 km²) history park located eight miles (13 km) south of Charleston, Illinois, U.S., near the town of Lerna. The centerpiece is a replica of the log cabin built and occupied by ...

(including the Reuben Moore Home),

Coles County Coles County is a county in Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,863. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University. Coles County is part of the Charleston- Mattoon, IL Micropolitan St ...

* Lincoln Monument, Lee County * Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site,

* Lincoln Trail State Memorial, Lawrence County *

, Menard County * Lovejoy State Memorial, Madison County * Martin–Boismenue House, St. Clair County * Metamora Courthouse State Historic Site, Woodford County * Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site, Logan County *

Norwegian Settlers Memorial The Norwegian Settlers Memorial is the official memorial of the U.S. state of Illinois maintained in honor of immigrants from the nation of Norway. This Memorial commemorates the Fox River Settlement, the site of the first permanent Norwegian-Amer ...

, La Salle County * Old Market House State Historic Site,

Old State Capitol State Historic Site The 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 1837–1840, and served as the state house from 1840 to 1876.

Pierre Menard Home State Historic Site The Pierre Menard House, located in Ellis Grove, Illinois, U.S.A., was the home of Pierre Menard, a trader who became the first lieutenant governor of Illinois from 1818 to 1822. History Pierre Menard was born near Montreal, Quebec on Octo ...

, Randolph County *

Postville Courthouse State Historic Site The Postville Courthouse State Historic Site is a replica county courthouse in Lincoln, Illinois, United States. The original frame courthouse was built in 1840 and later moved to Greenfield Village in Michigan; the current courthouse, which is a ...

, Logan County * Pullman Site, including: **

Hotel Florence The 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. Since 1991, it has been owned by the Illinois Histor ...

* Rose Hotel, Hardin County * Shawneetown Bank State Historic Site, Gallatin County * U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site,

* Vachel Lindsay Home,

Vandalia State House State Historic Site The 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 bric ...

, Fayette County * Washburne House State Historic Site,

* Wild Bill Hickok Memorial,

* World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial,

In addition to those above administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Division, other historic sites operated by Illinois state agencies include: *

Dickson Mounds Dickson Mounds is a Native American settlement site and burial mound complex near Lewistown, Illinois. It is located in Fulton County on a low bluff overlooking the Illinois River. It is a large burial complex containing at least two cemeteri ...

, operated by

(IDNR) * Fort Massac State Park, operated by IDNR *

Starved Rock State Park Starved Rock State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Illinois, characterized by the many canyons within its . Located just southeast of the village of Utica, in Deer Park Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, along the south bank of the ...

, operated by IDNR

NRHP multiple property submissions

This List of NRHP Multiple Property Submission in Illinois are properties not part of a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from cer ...

but are, rather, listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places after a collective nomination with other similar properties, called a

Multiple Property Submission The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. * American Woman's League Chapter Houses Thematic Resources * Archaeological Sites of Starved Rock State Park * Architectural and Historic Resources of Vermont, Illinois, Multiple Property Submission * Black Metropolis Thematic Resources * Caught in the Middle; the Civil War on the Lower Ohio River * Civil War Era National Cemeteries * Coles County Highway Bridges Over the Embarras River Thematic Resources * Fraternity and Sorority Houses at the Urbana-Champaign Campus of the University of Illinois Multiple Property Submission * Highway Bridges in Iowa 1868-1945 * Historic and Historical Archaeological Resources of the Cherokee Trail of Tears * Historic and Architectural Resources of Route 66 Through Illinois * Historic Fairgrounds in Illinois Multiple Property Submission * Historic Resources of Grafton, Illinois, ca. 1830-1943, Multiple Property Submission * Historic Resources of Highland Park Multiple Resource Area * Historic Resources of Maywood, Illinois, Multiple Property Submission * Historic Resources of the Chicago Park District Multiple Property Submission * Hyde Park Apartment Hotels Thematic Resources *

Illinois Carnegie Libraries Multiple Property Submission Illinois Carnegie Libraries Multiple Property Submission was a National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Submission in the U.S. state of Illinois, approved on February 16, 1994. The submission included a group of sixteen Illinois libra ...

* Illinois State Park Lodges and Cabins Thematic Resources * Metal Highway Bridges of Fulton County Thematic Resources * Motor Row, Chicago, Illinois * Native American Rock Art Sites of Illinois Multiple Property Submission * Round Barns in Illinois Thematic Resources * Suburban Apartment Buildings in Evanston Thematic Resources * University of Illinois Buildings by Nathan Clifford Ricker Thematic Resources * University of Illinois Buildings Designed by Charles A. Platt

References

External links

* {{authority control History of Illinois *

Historic Preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK), is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...

State history organizations of the United States Government agencies established in 1985 1985 establishments in Illinois