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LeClaire Historic District

Historic district
In Edwardsville, Illinois
0.8 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

The LeClaire Historic District in Edwardsville, IL, preserves a planned community that industrialist N. O. Nelson built between 1890 and 1895 around his manufacturing company. Nelson shared profits with workers, offered free adult classes and supplied the town's utilities. The reformer-minded experiment drew praise from journalist Nellie Bly. The district joined the National Register in 1979 and sits less than a mile off the old road.

What is LeClaire Historic District?

LeClaire is a neighborhood with a big idea behind it. Nelson set out to build a better kind of company town, with a factory complex that gave residents work. Every factory building had electric power, sprinklers and tall arched windows to let daylight in for the workers.

The town also had an academy offering free education for adults and reading rooms, inspired by a St. Louis self-culture hall. A historic water tower from 1931, nicknamed the Tin Man, stands in the district.

History of LeClaire Historic District

N. O. Nelson owned the Nelson Manufacturing Company, and he laid out the town on donated land in the early 1890s. His ideals came from several places, including the Ethical Culture movement and Looking Backward, the Edward Bellamy novel. His profit-sharing plan copied the Maison LeClaire in Paris, which also gave the town its name.

LeClaire was an open community. Not every resident worked for Nelson, and workers were free to live elsewhere, but the company supplied utilities and public buildings to all. Nellie Bly compared it favorably with Chicago's Pullman, and Ida Tarbell wrote about it as well. The district was listed on the National Register on August 8, 1979.

Visiting LeClaire Historic District: tips

Most buildings are private homes, so enjoy the streets from the car or the sidewalk and respect residents' privacy. Allow half an hour for a slow look.

The Benjamin Stephenson House, a restored 1820 home, is about 0.5 miles away, and the Berleman House and Narodni Sin are each about 0.8 miles off.

Practical info

Address: 998-800 Holyoake Rd, Edwardsville, IL 62025
Website: historic-leclaire.org
Hours: We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
On site & nearby