Camp Logan National Guard Rifle Range Historic District
Why it's listed
Camp Logan was a National Guard rifle range on the Lake Michigan shoreline northeast of Zion, Illinois, now inside Illinois Beach State Park. Established in the 1890s, it grew into a cantonment of barracks, a headquarters, a pump house, a custodian's cottage and a weapons range with targets from 200 to 1,000 yards. Between 1934 and 1937 the Works Progress Administration drained and leveled the marshy grounds, straightened Kellogg Creek, built a road, sidewalk, bridge and fence, and reconfigured the range for newer weaponry. A mess hall was added in 1950 as part of a statewide Guard building program. Besides Guard units, the FBI's Chicago and Milwaukee offices trained there until the early 1970s, and in 1935 the FBI developed its Practical Pistol Course at the range. The camp closed in the early 1970s and much of the range was removed. The district's remaining buildings, structures and site features were recognized for their link to military training in Illinois.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Styles | No style |
|---|---|
| Areas of significance | Military |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Camp Logan National Guard Rifle Range Historic District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.