Pere Marquette State Park Lodge and Cabins
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Why it's listed
Pere Marquette State Park, near Grafton, Illinois, contains a rustic lodge and seven cabins built between 1933 and 1939. The lodge is made of rusticated limestone laid in random courses and has an E-shaped plan with steeply pitched gable roofs covered in wood shakes. Exposed log rafters, board and batten gable ends, and wood casement windows with shutters give it a rustic look. Inside, the two-story lounge has a massive stone fireplace and exposed log roof trusses. A concessions wing was added in 1952. The seven stone cabins are arranged in an L shape north of the lodge and share the lodge's shakes, chimneys and shutters. The complex is considered important for its architecture, since only the lodge and cabins at Starved Rock State Park match it in size and extent. It also matters for recreation: it was the first state park facility built to serve a nearby metropolitan area, with St. Louis and East St. Louis about twenty-five miles away.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is significant for architecture and recreation. It is rivaled in size and extent only by the lodge and cabins at Starved Rock State Park and embodies picturesque rustic qualities. It was also the first state park facility built to serve the recreational needs of a nearby metropolitan area, the East St. Louis-St. Louis region.
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 85002405, listed March 4, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Box 158, Grafton |
|---|---|
| County | Jersey County |
| Listed | March 4, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002405 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1933-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Joseph F. Booten |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 16 |
| Coordinates | 38.97263, -90.54106 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 85002405.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q89958208
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.