New Piasa Chautauqua Historic District
Also known as: Chautauqua
Why it's listed
New Piasa Chautauqua is a summer community of 135 structures tucked into a narrow, wooded valley between limestone bluffs on the Illinois bank of the Mississippi, north of Alton. Founded in 1885 by Methodist-affiliated committees from southern Illinois and St. Louis as a western counterpart to the original Chautauqua in New York, it combined religious, educational and scientific programs with a summer resort. Most buildings are one- and two-story frame cottages, many dating from before about 1912, alongside community buildings such as an auditorium, chapel, swimming pool and the Piasa (Sherer's) Spring. Fires in 1919 and 1957 caused the main losses, yet early photographs show the grounds largely unchanged. The district was recognized because it survives as a working example of a once-widespread institution, continuing its annual program of events while most similar assemblies faded after the First World War. Its natural setting gave it a balance of access and isolation.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a living relic of the Chautauqua movement, a nineteenth-century social institution rooted in the Lyceum movement and revival camp meetings. Most such Chautauquas disappeared in the twentieth century, but this one has kept its summer program and community life essentially unchanged for about ninety-five years. Its isolated setting is credited for that survival.
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 82002541, listed June 15, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Off McAdams Pkwy., Chautauqua |
|---|---|
| County | Jersey County |
| Listed | June 15, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002541 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Varcous |
| Architectural style | No formal style stated; the form says the architecture is largely unremarkable and describes simple, rectangular, two-story frame cottages with large screened porches as a possible "Chautauqua" style. |
| Areas of significance | Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and still operating as a Chautauqua with an annual summer program. Fires in 1919 destroyed the Chautauqua Inn and in 1957 destroyed seventeen cottages. Condition is described as good and altered. |
| Acreage | 257 |
| Coordinates | 38.96776, -90.38291 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82002541.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5088379
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.