Historical Markers
Man lights candles on a menorah with others watching people - historic synagogues

Self-guided · County in Illinois

Historic Synagogues in De Witt County, IL

Synagogues and Jewish community buildings on the record near you, some among the oldest in the country.

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Photo: Hasan Mrad on Unsplash

De Witt County is one of 102 counties in Illinois. Some of these sites are open to visitors, some are private, and some are ruins. All of them are on the record, and all of them can be seen from the public way.

Women taking photos inside a blue ornate building - historic synagogues
Photo: Hasan Mrad on Unsplash
People entering a building with blue windows - historic synagogues
Photo: Hasan Mrad on Unsplash
Ornate interior of a historic synagogue with benches and balconies - historic synagogues
Photo: Yura Timoshenko on Unsplash

On the record near De Witt County, IL

The 9 nearest

9 listed sites on the record match historic synagogues within 200 miles of De Witt County, IL, out of 42 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 2 listed sites carry De Witt County as their county.

  1. Temple Israel108 miles from the center of De Witt County · Building · Lafayette · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
  2. B'Nai Amoona Synogogue129 miles from the center of De Witt County · Building · University City · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places
  3. B'nai El Temple129 miles from the center of De Witt County · Building · St. Louis (Independent City) · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
  4. Jewish People's Institute132 miles from the center of De Witt County · Building · Chicago · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
  5. Kehilath Anshe Ma'ariv Synagogue133 miles from the center of De Witt County · Building · Chicago · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
  6. Beth-El Zedeck Temple148 miles from the center of De Witt County · Building · Indianapolis · listed 2019National Register of Historic Places
  7. Sons of Israel Synagogue173 miles from the center of De Witt County · Building · South Bend · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
  8. B'nai Jacob Synagogue193 miles from the center of De Witt County · Building · Ottumwa · listed 2004National Register of Historic Places
  9. Ahavas Shalom Reform Temple195 miles from the center of De Witt County · Building · Ligonier · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of De Witt County, IL. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Historic Synagogues in De Witt County, step by step

  1. 1

    See every listed site of this kind in the area

  2. 2

    Sort by distance and pick the closest few

  3. 3

    Read the record for the year, the builder and the use

  4. 4

    View from the public way and note what has changed

  5. 5

    Collect the set and move on to the next county

What people in De Witt County, IL ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in De Witt County, IL?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are these buildings open to the public?

Some are, many are not. Churches, courthouses and libraries usually keep regular hours. Houses, barns and mills are often private and best seen from the road. The record for each site tells you which kind it is.

What does it mean when a site is on the National Register?

It means the property was documented and accepted as historically significant. Listing honors the site, it does not open it to visitors or stop an owner from using it.

How a visit works in De Witt County

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In De Witt County, IL the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in De Witt County, IL are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

More ways in around De Witt County, IL

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Historic Synagogues near De Witt County

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