Springdale Cemetery
Why it's listed
Springdale Cemetery is a public, non-sectarian burial ground of roughly 225 acres on a bluff above the Illinois River in Peoria. Opened in 1855, it now holds almost 78,000 burials, among them city founders, farmers, workers, distillers and soldiers from every American war. About seven miles of winding roads follow the valleys and hills, with sections named for the trees that grew there, and a native tallgrass oak savanna is recognized as a state natural heritage landmark. The district includes fifteen private mausolea built from 1887 onward in Classical Revival, Romanesque and other styles, a public mausoleum of Barre granite opened in 1929, a Craftsman-influenced stone gatehouse from 1900, two iron king post bridges and numerous monuments. Soldiers' Hill displays Civil War Parrott rifles. The cemetery was listed for its landscape, architecture and the many people from Peoria's history buried there.
Significance in brief: The nomination points to the cemetery's long record of Peoria burials, including founders, soldiers of every American war and Medal of Honor recipients. It also cites its curvilinear, park-like landscape with a rare native oak savanna, and a collection of mausolea and monuments in Classical Revival, Gothic Revival, Romanesque and Craftsman styles.
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 04001303, listed December 10, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3014 N. Prospect Rd., Peoria |
|---|---|
| County | Peoria County |
| Listed | December 10, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001303 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Public mausoleum designed by Lovell & Lovell of Chicago; Buehler mausoleum built by R. Vellow & Sons Monument Company; entrance gates by A. Lucas & Sons of Peoria |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Romanesque; Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Classical Revival and Late Gothic Revival; Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a cemetery and now owned by the City of Peoria (since 2003). The stone entrance pillars were removed in 2001 because of deterioration and vandalism. |
| Coordinates | 40.72513, -89.56927 (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 04001303.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7580841
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.