Brandon Road Lock and Dam Historic District
Also known as: Lock & Dam 3
Why it's listed
Brandon Road Lock and Dam, on the Des Plaines River at the south end of Joliet, Illinois, is a navigation complex built by the State of Illinois between 1927 and 1933. The district includes a lock with a 110-by-600-foot chamber and a 34-foot lift, a 2,372-foot concrete and earth dam, a junction lock that once gave barges access to the Illinois and Michigan Canal, a drawbridge, and a brick control station with Jacobethan-style gables. Walter Mickle Smith, Chief Design Engineer for the Illinois Waterway project, is considered the designer. The facility opened in 1933 as part of the slackwater system linking Chicago with the Mississippi River. It was listed for its part in the waterway's transportation and industrial history and as a representative example of Army Corps of Engineers-approved lock and dam construction. It still operates and keeps water levels steady between Lockport and Joliet. Its 1933 electric headgate hoists are noted as a rare surviving type.
Significance in brief: The district is significant under Criterion A for its role in the maritime, transportation and industrial history of the Illinois Waterway. It is significant under Criterion C as a good representative example of Army Corps of Engineers-approved lock and dam construction of the period. It also keeps water levels steady between Lockport and Joliet and retains 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 04000163, listed March 10, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1100 Brandon Rd., Joliet |
|---|---|
| County | Will County |
| Listed | March 10, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000163 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1927-1951 |
| 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; the junction lock is no longer operable. Alterations such as resurfaced walls, replaced machinery and a new roof on the control station are described as typical for an operating facility. |
| Acreage | 92.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.50690, -88.09544 (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 04000163.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4957039
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.