Scope and Contents:
This collection contains records from the Illinois Department of Public Works and Buildings regarding the restoration of the chapel at Fort de Chartres located in Prairie du Rocher, Illinois. Records include correspondence and a photograph.
Located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, the Fort de Chartres was originally constructed in 1720 during French colonization of the Illinois territory. The Fort was later rebuilt several times due to flooding and decay. Between 1935 and 1942, the Illinois Department of Public Works and Buildings began work on the restoration of the chapel at Fort de Chartres.
Records include letters between Natalia M. Belting, Theodore C. Pease, and Joseph H. Booton. At the time of the restoration project, Natalia Belting and Theodore Pease were history professors at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Joseph Booton was the Chief of Design of the Division of Architecture and Engineering for the State of Illinois. Correspondents discuss issues of historical accuracy in relation to the restoration of the chapel, such as furnishings and use of the chapel. Included in the correspondence is Dr. Belting's translation of an inventory of the chapel's furnishings written in French, as well as a photograph of the original inventory.
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