SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) issued a press release announcing 12 Illinois sites were added to the National Register of Historic Places during 2020, including Glenwood School in Iroquois County. 

“Thanks to the advocacy and support of historic preservationists from throughout the state, and thanks to the work of our staff at the IDNR State Historic Preservation Office, these additions to the National Register help tell the story of Illinois,” IDNR Director Colleen Callahan said in the press release.

Glenwood School in rural Iroquois County near Cissna Park was listed in the National Register on May 29, 2020, for possessing the qualities typical of one-room schoolhouses. Around the time the school was built, there were nine public country schools in the township. Today, Glenwood School is the only known schoolhouse remaining, according to the press release. Exterior defining characteristics of Glenwood School include a rectangular floor plane, symmetrical fenestration, low-pitched gabled roof, vestibule, and an entrance on the short side of the building facing the road. On the interior, the building’s open floor plan, plaster walls, wood wainscoting, teacher's platform and chalkboards are still intact.

Other places recognized include a 150-year old farmstead, the home of the Chicago Cubs, and four historic districts that, when combined, include more than 700 significant properties.

National Register places are added to the register by the National Park Service based on recommendations from the State Historic Preservation Office.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of properties that merit special attention and preservation. Every county in Illinois has at least one property or historic district listed in the National Register. Together, they represent a cross section of the Prairie State's history from its early settlement to the mid-20th century.

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