Starved Rock Lock and Dam Historic District
Also known as: Lock and Dam 6
Why it's listed
Starved Rock Lock and Dam sits on the Illinois River in La Salle County, beneath limestone bluffs of Starved Rock State Park. Built between 1926 and 1933, it includes a lock with a 25-foot lift and a 110 by 600 foot chamber, a 1,280-foot concrete dam, and a red brick control station with gabled bays that recall the Jacobethan style. State of Illinois engineers led by Walter Mickle Smith designed the lock, and the US Army Corps of Engineers completed it. When built in 1929, its Tainter gates reportedly ranked among the largest in the country. The complex was part of a slackwater system that gave commercial barges and towboats access to the 336-mile waterway between Chicago and the Mississippi River. It was recognized for its contribution to regional transportation and industrial history and as a representative example of Corps lock and dam design. It still operates, with replaced machinery, a later power house, and a visitor center added in 1978.
Significance in brief: The district is significant under Criterion A for its role in the maritime, transportation and industrial history of the Illinois Waterway, a slackwater system that let commercial barges travel between Chicago and the Mississippi River. It is significant under Criterion C as a good example of Army Corps of Engineers-approved lock and dam construction of its period. The lock and dam retain original appearance and function and a high degree of integrity.
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 04000166, listed March 10, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 950 N 27th Rd., Ottawa |
|---|---|
| County | LaSalle County |
| Listed | March 10, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000166 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1926-33 |
| Architect / builder | Smith, Walter Mickle |
| Architectural style | Other: lock and dam; No style: control station |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Maritime History, Engineering |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still an operating lock and dam facility; some equipment and surfaces have been replaced, and a power house was added to the dam in 1993-95. |
| Acreage | 27.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.32310, -88.98690 (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 04000166.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7602645
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.