St. James Catholic Church and Cemetery
Also known as: Catholic Church and Cemetery at Sagganash; The Sag
Why it's listed
St. James (Sag) Church and Cemetery occupy a high bluff above the point where the Sag and Des Plaines valleys meet, southwest of Chicago near Lemont. Irish laborers building the Illinois and Michigan Canal began burying their dead here in 1837, and the earliest legible stone dates from 1846. The church cornerstone was laid in 1853, and the building was finished in 1859. Settlers hauled buff-colored local dolomite up the hill in exchange for cemetery lots. In 1882 the first resident pastor arrived, and architect Martin Carr designed a transept and steeple. Buttresses were added in the 1920s after blasting for the Cal-Sag Channel weakened the walls. The cemetery holds many locally carved tombstones bearing Irish surnames and the home county and parish in Ireland. The surrounding oak forest and the commanding setting remain largely intact. The site is listed for its ties to canal-era settlement and Irish heritage, and it is still an active parish.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the site is a cultural landmark tied to the prehistory and frontier settlement of northeastern Illinois, with exceptional integrity of setting and continuous use. It is linked to the Irish canal workers who built the Illinois and Michigan Canal. It is also described as the only combined Catholic church and cemetery complex, and the only rural Catholic church, in the canal's National Heritage Corridor.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84001047, listed August 16, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 106th St. and Archer Ave., Lemont |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | August 16, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001047 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1837-1882 |
| Architect / builder | Martin Carr (1882 enlargement); original masonry by local Irish settlers |
| Architectural style | Gothic Basilican plan; vernacular structure |
| Areas of significance | European, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in active religious use; the cemetery is still used by descendants of canal workers and settlers. Condition is given as good and altered, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Within district | Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.69863, -87.93264 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84001047.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7588443
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.