Marseilles Hydro Plant
Also known as: The Marseilles Development; Marseilles Hydro Development; Mars
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Beside the Illinois River at Marseilles stands a hydroelectric complex built to power an early electric railway. Its main generator building, a Classical Revival structure of concrete, brick and steel, was begun in 1906 and finished in 1911 for the Northern Illinois Light and Traction Company. Engineer C. W. Humphrey directed its design and construction. Water diverted by the Marseilles Dam flows through a head race and forebay to turbines that drive the generators, some of them original Westinghouse and General Electric units still working. The 7.6-acre site also holds a storehouse, an oil shed, the ruins of a coal-fired steam plant used in icy winters, and a 1956 substation. Power from the station fed the interurban lines that ran along the old Illinois and Michigan Canal and connected the valley towns. That role in early electric transportation, along with the archeological potential of the steam plant site, is the basis for the property's listing. Exterior and interior remain largely as built.
Significance in brief: The station supplied power to the state's first electric traction railway, the interurban line that linked the Illinois River Valley towns and connected them to wider markets. The nomination argues the interurban helped revitalize towns along the abandoned Illinois and Michigan Canal. The ruined steam plant site is also significant for its potential to yield knowledge of early 20th century power plant operations.
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 89000343, listed May 9, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Commercial St., Marseilles |
|---|---|
| County | LaSalle County |
| Listed | May 9, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000343 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1911 - 1934 |
| Architect / builder | Humphrey, C. W. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals / Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The station is described as a functional power plant. Much of the original generating equipment still works, and the exterior is largely unaltered apart from maintenance and repair. Only foundations of the coal-fired steam plant remain. |
| Acreage | 7.6 |
| Coordinates | 41.32681, -88.71531 (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 89000343.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6773266
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.