SCENIC BYWAYS     Historic National Road
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

For complete information on Historic National Road of Illinois Scenic Byway
www.nationalroad.org

ALTAMONT

First organized as a town in 1871, this agricultural community was settled by German immigrants. A cemetery, where the oldest markers are written in German, attests to the cultural heritage of the area. The town also has a link to the efforts of the USGS in obtaining an accurate surveying of the nation. In 1883, a USGS reference station was placed near Altamont in the form of a 75’ tower complete with light.

Altamont Living Museum
112 South Main Street
This public performing arts center is housed in a 1912 former Presbyterian Church. The stamped tin ceilings, chandeliers and oak pews remain intact.
618-483-5348

Alwerdt’s Gardens
1 Mile South of I-70 on US 128, South of Altamont
6 acres of gardens with more than 1000 varieties of herbs, annuals and perennials. Winter hours by appointment. Spring: Mon.-Sat. 8am-4pm; Sun. 12-4pm; Summer: Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm.
618-483-5798

Ballard Nature Center
Rt. 40, East of Altamont
The Center consists of 210 acres, including woodlands, restored prairie, shallow water wetlands and agricultural land. Naturalist on staff at Visitors Center Monday through Friday from 8am-4pm, volunteer staff on weekends. Trails are open dawn to dusk.
618-483-6856

Ben Winter Steam Engine Museum
1 mile west on 900th St.
The site houses a significant collection of historic/cultural artifacts from the 19th and early 20th century that are related to steam powered farm equipment and farming methods of the period. Some of the items in the collections are rare and all are in working condition. Visit by appointment.
618-483-6665

Wright House
W. Jackson Avenue. at N. Main Street
Constructed in 1889, the 18 room house is an excellent example of Italianate architecture built and furnished in the Victorian period – much of the furniture is original. Open Sundays in June, July and August, 2-4pm. Group tours available by appointment. There is a modest fee to tour the home.
618-483-6397


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CASEY

Casey is a classic Midwest community with broad tree-lined streets. It began as an agricultural community but at the turn of the 20th century, the Eastern Illinois Oil Fields opened and farmers left the fields for the more profitable work. Casey’s Centennial History notes that the community was the world’s largest timothy hay market for a few years before the oil boom.

Cumberland Presbyterian Church
16 N Central Ave.
Enjoy viewing outstanding stained glass windows, one of which is a portrait of Lincoln.
217-932-5404


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EFFINGHAM

Dating from 1853, this community is particularly interesting from a transportation perspective. Not only does it sit astride the National Road, over the successive decades it has become a transportation crossroads for interstate highways and railroads, including the Illinois Central.

Convention and Visitors Bureau
201 E. Jefferson Ave.
www.visiteffinghamil.com
Mon.-Fri. 8am-12pm & 1-5pm
217-342-5310 or 800-772-0750

Cross at the Crossroads
Intersection of Interstates 57 & 70
The site is intended to serve as a beacon of hope to the 50,000 travelers estimated to pass the site each day.
217-347-2846

Effingham County Courthouse
Jefferson Avenue at 3rd Street
Built in 1871, this National Register of Historic Places site features an outstanding Italianate façade and Second Empire architecture. A memorial statue on the grounds is dedicated Thomas Howard, Earl of Effingham, who resigned his commission as deputy marshall for King George III rather than draw his sword against American colonists. Open Mon.-Fri. 8am-4pm
800-772-0750

My Garage Corvette Museum
N. Rt. 45, Exit 162
Vintage corvettes and memorabilia owned by MidAmerica Motorworks. Open April – October.
www.mamotorworks.com/mygarage/mygarage.html
217-347-5591 or 800-500-1500

Sculptures on the Avenues
Each year, outdoor sculptures can be found throughout the community of Effingham. The sculptures change annually and feature the works of Midwest artists. This project is based upon the permanent sculpture by Leonardo Nierman, Flame of Hope, which is located in front of the municipal building.


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GREENUP

Thirty-three contributing buildings that cover a period from 1872 to 1940 comprise the National Register Downtown Historic District. The architecture represents the transition of town from mud streets and the days of the horse and wagon to the era of the automobile. The community is known for the many double porches in the downtown district.

Cameo Vineyards
400 Mill Road
Complimentary tastings and gift shop. Tues.-Sat. 10am-5pm; Sun. 12-5pm
217-923-9963

Cumberland County Covered Bridge
Located west of Greenup
Completed in 2000, this beautiful timber bridge replaced an early 20th century metal and concrete bridge. The Cumberland County Highway Department opted to construct a bridge in a design similar to the original 1830s covered bridge which was lost to a flood.
217-849-3441

Railroad Depot Museum
213 West Cumberland Street
Nicely restored local and regional history museum. Tours available by appointment.
888-268-0042 or 217-923-9306


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MARSHALL

The road entered Marshall in 1827, making it one of the early towns situated directly on the National Road. However, it wasn’t until 1835 that the town was officially organized by Col. William Archer. Marshall boasts one of the oldest City Bands, founded in 1875, with free concerts on the courthouse square each Friday mid-June through mid-August.

Archer House
717 Archer Ave.
This National Register site was built in 1841 as a hotel and also served as a stagecoach stop. It is the oldest hotel in Illinois still in operation.
217-826-8023

Bandstand and Courthouse
501 Archer Ave.
Marshall has served as the Clark County county seat since 1838 and the current courthouse dates from 1904. The period style bandstand, on the courthouse grounds, is still in use and every Friday evening mid-June through mid-August, the community band plays.
217-826-8311

Clark Center
Clark Center is a small, residential unincorporated community with a classic country church, the Auburn Methodist Church and adjoining cemetery. It is a good site to interpret the pioneer spirit that brought people west along the road, and in the process founded hundreds of small communities like Clark Center.

Clark County Historical Museum
Southwest corner Maple and 4th Streets
Listed on the National Register, this 1838 Greek Revival structure served as the first courthouse until 1839. The building has been used as a store, post office and private home. Tours by appointment only.
217-826-2034

Harlan Hall
603 Locust Street
With an opera house on the second floor and a first floor livery stable, this 1872 building is a legacy of the trend in the 19th and early 20th centuries for communities to have facilities for live entertainment – an activity supported by transportation improvements such as the National Road and the railroad. The interior still has the original horseshoe-shaped balcony.
217/826-2498

Lincoln Trail State Park
16985 E. 1350th Rd. (South of Marshall)
217-826-2222

Mill Creek Park
7 miles northwest of Marshall on Lincoln Heritage Trail Road

Stone Arch Bridge
Built between 1828 and 1837 by the Corps of Army Engineers and using local labor, this unique engineering site is one of the few remaining bridges of the original road still in use. The construction was accomplished without mortar. Please contact the National Road Association for assistance with best viewing locations.
618-664-9343

Visitors Center
Corner of Route 1 & Archer Ave.
Open March through December, 1pm – 3 pm
217-826-1044


MARTINSVILLE

Founded in April 1833, Martinsville was an oil boom town. Many oil wells are still active and can be seen working in the rural areas and farm fields around Martinsville. A large oil “tank farm” is visible from the National Road west of the community.

Lincoln School Museum
7400 East 1500th Rd.
This is a traditional 1-room Schoolhouse. Originally built in 1888, and named in honor of Abraham Lincoln, it is a restored structure and an excellent example of pioneer culture of the early community building period that existed prior to and during the early days of the road in the 19th century.


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TEUTOPOLIS

The community was founded by German Catholics in 1839. It is a community that was founded more as a colony than a commercial venture, as are most towns. Many of the homes are brick and reflect a 4-square style that is commonly found in earlier settlements in Pennsylvania and Maryland, showing a European influence.

Monastery Museum
110 S. Garrott
Teutopolis became the home to Franciscan Friars in 1858. The present museum, housed within the monastery, features religious artifacts from the Friars and local and regional collections depicting the pioneer era of the community. Open first Sunday of each month April – November. Group tours by appointment.
800-772-0750


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