Press Release - Monday, July 07, 2025
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Celebrate Illinois' French heritage during Bastille Day at the Jarrot Mansion State Historic Site in St. Clair County
Visitors will get a rare look inside an early Illinois mansion
SPRINGFIELD - The oldest brick building in Illinois, Jarrot Mansion State Historic Site, will open its doors on July 12 to give the public a rare glimpse of this unique mansion and to celebrate the state's French heritage in honor of Bastille Day.
The mansion is usually only open by request, but the public will be able to tour the site from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12. The site is located near the intersection of Illinois 3 and Illinois 157 in Cahokia. Nearby Cahokia Courthouse State Historic Site will also be open. Both sites are managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources with support from volunteers of the Jarrot Mansion Project.
Jarrot Mansion was built in 1810 by Nicholas Jarrot, a refugee from the French Revolution. He became a leading landowner and businessman in the formerly French region of Illinois as the area approached statehood. Celebrating his success, Jarrot built an imposing Federal-style mansion, far different from the French-influenced timber buildings that were common at the time.
Bastille Day, July 14, is the national day of France that commemorates when revolutionaries stormed the Bastille during the French Revolution.
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