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Nicholas Jarrot

The Jarrot Mansion, a two-story red brick home. On the first floor, the entry door is in the center, with two large windows on the left of the door and three windows on the right. Six large windows span the entire second floor. A large tree frames the

The Jarrot Mansion, a two-story red brick home.  On the first floor, the entry door is in the center, with two large windows on the left of the door and three windows on the right.  Six large windows span the entire second floor.  A large tree frames the home in the foreground. Nicolas Jarrot Mansion Project

When the Corps docked at Cahokia, they met a prominent French citizen, Nicholas Jarrot, who owned 400 acres of land surrounding Riviere du Bois (Wood River). Because the Spanish, who still controlled St. Louis (even though France had regained possession of the Louisiana Territory in 1801), would not let Captain Lewis and the Corps winter on the west side of the Mississippi River, Jarrot granted permission to the Corps to build a camp in the area surrounding Riviere du Bois.

Born in France, Jarrot came to Cahokia after a brief stop in Maryland. He bought land in Cahokia, which was then a tough frontier and trading outpost. He began as a fur trader but also was known as a lawyer, county judge, businessman, and land developer who became something like a feudal lord, ultimately owning an estimated 25,000 acres along the Mississippi.

Due to his prosperity, he wanted a new house to showcase his impressive wealth by mimicking the federal architecture on the East Coast — a rarity in the Mississippi Valley. Construction began in 1807 making it one of the earliest surviving masonry buildings in Illinois. It became a National Historic Landmark in 2001. You can visit the Jarrot Mansion at 124 East First Street in Cahokia by appointment only by calling 618-332-1782.

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