National Register of Historic Places

Chesterfield Historic District

Chesterfield, Caribou County, Idaho
Listed
December 4, 1980
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
80001297

About this property

Chesterfield is a ghost town in Caribou County, Idaho, United States. It is located in Gem Valley at an elevation of 5,446 feet (1,660 m). The community includes a cemetery and former buildings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) such as a former meeting house, amusement hall and tithing house. Located along a route of the Oregon Trail, Chesterfield was founded by Mormon settlers in 1881. After a railroad line was built through Bancroft to the south, the community lost some of its momentum, and agricultural difficulties led to its desertion by the end of the 1930s. Today, the community is operated as a tourist attraction, with guided tours and a museum. In 1980, the community was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district and is also on the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation's Mormon Historic Sites Registry. The historic district includes 41 buildings and eight sites, spread out over an area of 2,160 acres (870 ha). Some buildings in the district are examples of the Greek Revival and Queen Anne architectural styles.

Location

Chesterfield, Caribou County, Idaho
42.86754, -111.90723

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Chesterfield Historic District

This page lists Chesterfield Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Riverside Inn
Industrial
17.9 mi
Whitestone Hotel
Industrial
17.9 mi
L.D.S. Ward Building
Industrial
18.1 mi
Lava High School Gymnasium
Industrial
18.2 mi
Harkness, H. O., Stable Building
Industrial
20.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Chesterfield Historic District listed on the National Register?

Chesterfield Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 4, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Chesterfield Historic District?

Chesterfield Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Chesterfield Historic District?

The period of significance for Chesterfield Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Chesterfield Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Chesterfield Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Caribou County

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