La Grange Lock and Dam Historic District
Why it's listed
La Grange Lock and Dam is a navigation facility on the Illinois River in Brown County, Illinois, placed in operation in 1939. It is the southernmost lock and dam of the Illinois Waterway. The district has a lock with an 11-foot lift and a 110 by 600 foot chamber, a 1,066-foot concrete and earthen dam with wicket gates and a Tainter gate, and a two-story brick control station designed by Army Corps engineer Paul LeGromwell. The control station was built with key operations on the upper floor so the lower story could be cleared of flood mud and debris. It was the last of the 1930s lock and dams on the waterway. It was listed for its part in the system that lets barges and towboats travel between Chicago and the Mississippi, and as a representative example of Army Corps of Engineers design of its period. Two later boats, a maneuver boat and a push boat, are not counted as historic. The facility keeps a high degree of integrity.
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).
| Period of significance | 1939-1951 |
|---|---|
| Styles | No Style: control station; Other: lock and dam |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Maritime History, Engineering |
| Acreage | 17.6 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | La Grange Lock and Dam 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.