Patton, John, Log Cabin
Why it's listed
A small hewn log cabin in Lexington Park District Park, Lexington, Illinois, preserves the memory of one of McLean County's earliest settlers. John Patton built it in 1829 near a Kickapoo village, and the cabin raising on June 10 drew ten white settlers along with Kickapoo and Delaware participants. In 1831 county commissioners named it the polling place for Mackinaw Precinct, which covered 684 square miles, and it later hosted the county's first Methodist class. Later owners added a log block house in 1832 and joined it to the cabin in 1840. Moved in 1904 and used as a barn, it was disassembled in 1965 and rebuilt in the park in 1969. Because many logs were too deteriorated to return to their original positions, some interpretive errors were made, and corrections were planned. It is listed for its role in settlement and early county government, and it now serves as a museum furnished with ca. 1835 items.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cabin is significant in the exploration and settlement of Central Illinois. It is described as the only surviving structure in the area associated with white and Native American contact, and with the organization of McLean County government. It served as a polling place in 1831 and hosted the county's first Methodist class.
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 86002008, listed August 1, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Lexington Park District Park, Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | McLean County |
| Listed | August 1, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002008 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | John Patton |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered and moved; reassembled in 1969 and used as a museum with a ca. 1835 period room. Corrective work was planned for 1983. Condition is listed as fair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.64853, -88.77994 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 86002008.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6252158
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.