Lockport Lock, Dam and Power House Historic District
Why it's listed
Lockport Lock, Dam and Power House is a cluster of waterway structures on the Des Plaines River just south of Lockport, Illinois. It includes an old Chicago Sanitary District lock (1905-10), a concrete dam, an Italian Renaissance powerhouse designed by Frederick L. Barrett and placed in operation in 1908, a brick control station, and a large new lock opened in 1933. The new lock has a 40-foot lift, the largest on the Illinois Waterway, and its upstream single-leaf, submergible vertical-lift gates are described as rare. The district was listed because it shows how the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, hydroelectric generation and the Great-Lakes-to-the-Gulf waterway came together. Built in stages by the Sanitary District, the State of Illinois and the federal government, the complex helped open 336 miles of waterway to commercial barge traffic between Chicago and the Mississippi River. The lock and dam still operate, and the powerhouse is being renovated.
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 | 1905-1952 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Italian Renaissance |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Maritime History, Engineering |
| Acreage | 44.2 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Lockport Lock, Dam and Power House 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.