The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday that the state added 15 Illinois sites to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021, including two in Bureau County.

The NRHP-recognized places are scattered across the state and include various types of locations including a 160-year-old farmstead, a tuberculosis sanatorium and a Chicago movie palace.

Natural Resources Director Colleen Callahan stated that the locations on the list are important to preserving the story of the state.

“Each of these places tells a unique story that is part of Illinois’ rich history,” Callahan said. “They provide a physical link to the past. We are proud to work with local preservationists to obtain national recognition for these historically significant locations.”

The two locations added to this list in 2021 include Col. George H. Paddock’s Home, located at 906 South Main St., which was listed on Dec. 17, 2021 and the Oakland Cemetery Historic District, located at 1013 W Park Ave., which was listed on Sept. 1, 2021. Both sites are located in Princeton.

Col. George H. Paddock’s Home was built in 1903 in the Queen Anne style of architecture with classical revival details.

Queen Anne characteristics of the home include stained-glass windows, cross gables, irregular massing, bay windows and wrap-around porches. Classical features include columns with classical orders, dentils, broken and triangular pediments and triple windows.

The house fell into serious disrepair after sitting vacant for three years, but has since been returned to its former grandeur thanks to the dedication of its current owners.

The owners performed a lengthy and ambitious restoration after they purchased the property more than 40 years ago.

The Oakland Cemetery Historic District was founded in 1836 and is significant for its landscape design and funeral art.

The location was initially a family plot for a local minister as the burial ground was later expanded and eventually established as a community cemetery.

Named Oakland Cemetery because of all of the oak trees that grew on the land, many of which are still standing today, the cemetery was designed by landscape architect L.L. Herron in the 1860s.

The Oakland Cemetery is an example of a rural garden cemetery and is identified as such by its gently rolling land, winding paths, numerous trees and elaborate monuments.

The historic district comprises more than 40 acres, over half the area of the current cemetery, which has been in continuous use for more than 150 years.

These Bureau County landmarks, along with 13 others around the state, were added to the register by the National Park Service based on recommendations from the State Historic Preservation Office.

The NRHP is the official list of properties that merit special attention and preservation. Every Illinois county has at least one property or historic district listed in the register. Collectively, the list represents a cross section of Illinois’ history from its early settlement to the mid-20th century.

In general properties must be more than 50 years old to be eligible for listing on the NRHP. A listing imposes no obligations on private property owners but does make properties eligible for some financial incentives.