Photo: Wikimedia Commons — see author and license on the file page.

Will County Historical Society Headquarters

Historic building
In Lockport, Illinois
1.1 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

In Lockport, IL, about 2 miles off the old road, the Will County Historical Society makes its home in a Greek Revival building that once served as the office for the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The Canal Commission ran the waterway from here between 1836 and 1871. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is a key stop for Route 66 travelers curious about how the canal shaped this stretch of Illinois long before the highway.

What it is

The building is a commercial structure in the Greek Revival style, a classical look popular in the young United States for public and business buildings. Today it serves as the headquarters of the Will County Historical Society.

It stands on South State Street in Lockport, in the middle of the town's historic core. Because the building once managed the canal, it connects directly to the stories told by the other canal-era buildings on neighboring blocks.

A bit of history

The building was first known as the canal office building, and from 1836 the Canal Commission managed the I&M Canal from here, overseeing the waterway that linked the Great Lakes to the Illinois River. That arrangement lasted until 1871, when the state took over control of the canal and the commission's work came to an end.

The building later became home to the county historical society and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for its role in the canal era.

Visiting tips

Allow 30 minutes to an hour. Restrooms are on site and it is suitable for children, but note that the building is listed as not wheelchair accessible.

Lockport's historic sights sit close together: the Lockport Historic District is about 0.1 miles away, the Gaylord Building about 0.2 miles, and the Robert Milne House about 0.3 miles. Together they make an easy walking loop before heading back to the highway, and the society's headquarters is a sensible first stop for background on everything else in town.