Nicholas Jarrot Mansion facts for kids
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Nicholas Jarrot Mansion
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The mansion from the northeast in 2020
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cahokia Heights, St. Clair County, Illinois |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1810 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74002197 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 19, 1974 |
| Designated NHL | August 07, 2001 |
The Nicholas Jarrot Mansion is a very old and important house in Cahokia Heights, Illinois. It's a special place because it shows us what homes looked like a long time ago. The house is managed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA).
It's recognized as a State Historic Site and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2001, it became a National Historic Landmark. This means it's one of the most important historic buildings in the entire country! The mansion was built between 1807 and 1810 for Nicholas Jarrot, whose family came from France. It's a rare example of a building style called Federal architecture in the Mississippi River valley.
Who Was Nicholas Jarrot?
Nicholas Jarrot (1764–1820) was a very successful person. He was a fur trader, a lawyer, and even a judge. He also owned a lot of land, about 25,000 acres (100 square kilometers)!
Jarrot lived during a time when his community was changing a lot. It used to be part of a French colony called Louisiana. Then, it was ruled by Great Britain. Finally, in the late 1700s and early 1800s, it became part of the United States. This area is now known as the American Bottom in southwestern Illinois.
Jarrot was friendly with the new American leaders. In 1803, he met Meriwether Lewis, who was about to start the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition. Jarrot let Lewis and his men set up their winter camp on his land. This camp, called Camp Dubois, was where the Lewis and Clark team got ready for their big journey.
How Was the Mansion Built?
Nicholas Jarrot wanted his house to look like the homes of successful families on the U.S. East Coast. This was different from the French Colonial style that was common in his community. He wanted his home to show that he was fitting in with the new English-speaking settlers.
The people who built the Jarrot Mansion were not used to working with bricks. Because of this, some of the windows are a little crooked. The front of the house isn't perfectly even, which gives it a unique and charming look.
Even with these small quirks, the house was built very strongly. It survived the huge 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes. These earthquakes were some of the biggest in American history, and their center was in New Madrid, Missouri. The mansion stood strong!
The mansion property also has a small building called a spring house. It's made of cut limestone. Spring houses were like old-fashioned refrigerators. They had cool water where people could keep food fresh for a short time.
Protecting the Mansion
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The Jarrot Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This helped protect it. Later, in 1980, the state of Illinois bought the house.
In 2001, the house was given an even higher honor: it became a National Historic Landmark. This means it's considered one of the most important historic places in the United States.
Today, the mansion is mostly a quiet historic site. It's not always open to the public. However, the IHPA sometimes opens it for special events and festivals.
The Jarrot Mansion is very close to the Cahokia Courthouse State Historic Site. Nicholas Jarrot himself served as a judge at that courthouse for St. Clair County.
