Mercer County Fairgrounds
Also known as: Mercer County Agricultural Board Fairgrounds
Why it's listed
Mercer County Fairgrounds occupies 52.41 flat acres on the southwest side of Aledo, Illinois, where the county fair has been held since the Agricultural Society moved it from Millersburg in 1869. The grounds contain a half-mile dirt track with a grandstand, exhibition halls, animal barns, a brick office and ticket building, and food stands. Eleven buildings contribute to the district. The oldest is the eight-sided Exhibition Building of 1880, known as the Pumpkin Building, followed by the Greek Cross-plan Floral Hall of 1882, built by contractor J. S. Pinkerton. A fire in 1920 destroyed most wooden structures on the south side, and the swine barn and rest rooms were built in 1921 to replace them. The 1926 Merchants' Building was finished in under a month. Fair competitions pushed local farmers to improve yields, and the grounds became a long-running community gathering place. The fair continues there each July, so use of the site has not changed.
Significance in brief: The fairgrounds has hosted the Mercer County Fair continuously since 1869 and still serves its original purpose. Its surviving 1880-1926 wooden buildings, such as the Pumpkin Building, Floral Hall, grandstand and Merchants' Building, show the growth of the fair as an agricultural and social event. The fair also promoted local farming through competitions and gave residents a place to gather.
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 97000380, listed May 2, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 12th Ave., SW., .5 mi. S of jct. with IL 17, Aledo |
|---|---|
| County | Mercer County |
| Listed | May 2, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000380 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | J. S. Pinkerton (Exhibition Building and Floral Hall); J. L. Sharp and Son (Merchants' Building) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian; Late 19th and 20th Century American Movements |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used for the annual Mercer County Fair, held usually in the second week of July, and for occasional picnics, auctions and shows. Its current use matches its historic use. |
| Acreage | 52.4 |
| Coordinates | 41.19184, -90.76453 (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 97000380.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q24061792
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.