Camp Logan National Guard Rifle Range Historic District
Why it's listed
Camp Logan was a National Guard rifle range on the Lake Michigan shoreline northeast of Zion, Illinois, now inside Illinois Beach State Park. Established in the 1890s, it grew into a cantonment of barracks, a headquarters, a pump house, a custodian's cottage and a weapons range with targets from 200 to 1,000 yards. Between 1934 and 1937 the Works Progress Administration drained and leveled the marshy grounds, straightened Kellogg Creek, built a road, sidewalk, bridge and fence, and reconfigured the range for newer weaponry. A mess hall was added in 1950 as part of a statewide Guard building program. Besides Guard units, the FBI's Chicago and Milwaukee offices trained there until the early 1970s, and in 1935 the FBI developed its Practical Pistol Course at the range. The camp closed in the early 1970s and much of the range was removed. The district's remaining buildings, structures and site features were recognized for their link to military training in Illinois.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the camp is significant under Criterion A for its long role in National Guard marksmanship training and military preparedness in Illinois. It was heavily upgraded by the Works Progress Administration between 1934 and 1937 into a modern pre-World War II range. It was also used by the FBI for firearms training into the early 1970s.
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 00000640, listed June 9, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Illinois Beach State Park, Zion |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | June 9, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000640 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Works Progress Administration (WPA) built many 1930s improvements; Illinois National Guard built the 1950 mess hall |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now part of Illinois Beach State Park; the camp closed in the early 1970s, and the surviving buildings serve for maintenance, storage and stabling. The weapons range is largely razed or returned to a natural state. |
| Coordinates | 42.46686, -87.81197 (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 00000640.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5027363
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.