National Register of Historic Places

Hofmann Tower

Lyons, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
December 22, 1978
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
78001139

About this property

Hofmann Tower is a tower in Lyons, Illinois. Built in 1908, it is named after local brewer George Hofmann Jr., who built the tower and a neighboring dam as part of a park that attracted visitors to picnic and ride boats. The tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1978. Hofmann's heirs sold the tower to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County in 1946. In the 1970s, Rose Marie Benedetti and Maureen S. Kiener worked closely with the Village of Lyons Historical Commission to have Hofmann Tower designated a village and state landmark and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. As of 2024 the tower is closed to the public due to its deteriorating condition. Hofmann Tower is featured prominently in two books written by Rose Marie Benedetti and Virginia C. Bulat, titled Lyons: A history of a village and area important for 300 years (1959) and Portage, pioneers, and pubs: A history of Lyons, Illinois (1963).

Location

3910 Barry Point Rd.
Lyons, Cook County, Illinois
41.82071, -87.82195

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION
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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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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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
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Coonley, Avery, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Arcade Building
Civil War
0.5 mi
Riverside Landscape Architecture District
Listed
0.5 mi
Tomek, F.F., House
Industrial
0.8 mi
Chicago Portage National Historic Site
Pre Contact
0.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Fort Dearborn — Evacuation Route Ambush 1812
1812Early Republic
5.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hofmann Tower listed on the National Register?

Hofmann Tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Hofmann Tower?

Hofmann Tower is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Hofmann Tower?

The period of significance for Hofmann Tower is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Hofmann Tower?

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