Lockport Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Lockport Historic District, also known as the Canal and Downtown Area, is a set of fifty-nine buildings in Joliet
, Illinois
. Of these, fifty-six contribute to the historical integrity of the area. The downtown district of Lockport was plat
ted in 1836, the same year that construction began on the Illinois and Michigan Canal
(I&M Canal). Two years later, Lockport was designated as the headquarters for the I&M. Due to the importance of the canal for commerce, the downtown district runs parallel to it. The district featured the Canal's barn, the Gaylord Store and Martin Elevator
, the Norton Warehouse and Store, the Canal Office, and the Superintendent's Home.
Most buildings in the area were constructed with locally-quarried limestone
. The downtown area, aside from canal-related structures, was mostly used for commercial purposes. It was laid out by Joseph Wapler, the surveyor for the I&M Canal. The oldest buildings in the district today is the Canal Office (1838) and the building at 1020 State Street. The Canal Office was converted into the Will County Historical Society Headquarters and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1972. A 1895 fire damaged the block between 10th and 11th streets east of State St. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on May 12, 1975.
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Of these, fifty-six contribute to the historical integrity of the area. The downtown district of Lockport was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1836, the same year that construction began on the Illinois and Michigan Canal
Illinois and Michigan Canal
The Illinois and Michigan Canal ran from the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago on the Chicago River to LaSalle-Peru, Illinois, on the Illinois River. It was finished in 1848 when Chicago Mayor James Hutchinson Woodworth presided over its opening; and it allowed boat transportation from the Great...
(I&M Canal). Two years later, Lockport was designated as the headquarters for the I&M. Due to the importance of the canal for commerce, the downtown district runs parallel to it. The district featured the Canal's barn, the Gaylord Store and Martin Elevator
Gaylord Building
The Gaylord Building, constructed in 1838 in the downtown historic district of Lockport, Illinois, and on the canalside there, played a pivotal role in the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. It is on the United States National Register of Historic Places, and is one of 29 Historic...
, the Norton Warehouse and Store, the Canal Office, and the Superintendent's Home.
Most buildings in the area were constructed with locally-quarried limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The downtown area, aside from canal-related structures, was mostly used for commercial purposes. It was laid out by Joseph Wapler, the surveyor for the I&M Canal. The oldest buildings in the district today is the Canal Office (1838) and the building at 1020 State Street. The Canal Office was converted into the Will County Historical Society Headquarters and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1972. A 1895 fire damaged the block between 10th and 11th streets east of State St. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on May 12, 1975.