10 Illinois Sites Added to the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of U.S. sites, generally more than 50 years old, that deserve special attention and preservation. Each county in Illinois is home to at least one historic district or special site listed. On Feb. 7, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced 30 Illinois properties that were added to the National Register of Historic Places throughout 2018. The properties range from community art centers and high schools to firehouses and churches.
Scroll through to see 10 of the Illinois properties that have been recently added to the list. You can also take a look at last year’s additions here and learn more about the National Register application process here.
Promontory Point, Chicago
Photo Courtesy of Flickr user Marco Verch.
Promontory Point, a man-made peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan from Chicago’s Burnham Park, was originally envisioned by famous architect Daniel Hudson Burnham in the mid-1890s. The landscaping was later designed by architect Alfred Caldwell before the park finally opened to the public in the 1930s. This popular picnic spot that locals refer to simply as “The Point” is now getting recognition as a historic landmark. During the Cold War, the U.S. Army used Promontory Point to house a radar tower for the Nike Hercules missile defense system. The park was turned back over to the public in the 1970s and is now owned by the Chicago Park District, the oldest park district in the country.
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