Prairie du Rocher in Randolph County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Lee- Brickey Mansion Destroyed

Photographed By Thomas Smith, September 10, 2022

1. Lee- Brickey Mansion Destroyed Marker

Inscription.
Abraham Lee, after winning the Opera House lottery, built the mansion on these grounds. A. H. Lee died two years after the completion of this magnificent home. Lee's business partner, F. W. Brickey, bought the home and since that time it has been known as the Brickey House. On April 5, 1970, the fire was discovered at 2:45 a.m. when already out of control. The Prairie du Rocher Fire Department, along with neighboring departments, saw the last of the frame structure fall about 3:45 a.m.

Historic Relevance
1970 - First Rendezvous is held at Fort de Chartres. Creole House bequeathed to Randolph County Historical Society.
1971 - St. Joseph's celebrates 250th anniversary.
1973 - Mobile phone invented.
1976 - United States celebrates its Bicentennial (200).
1976 - Village Hall/Post Office/Fire Station is built.
1980 - John Lennon is shot.
1981 - MTV is launched.
Local historian Percy Clerc dies in house fire.
1983 - Economy starts to rebound from recession.
1986 - State Bank builds a new building.
1987 - Prairie du Rocher Hawks baseball team win first State Championship.
Berlin Wall is torn down.

The Lee-Brickey mansion sat vacant for years according to

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Brickey's wishes. Many admired it from afar, yet never saw its true extravagance. As fate would have it, the Chicago Opera House, the subject of the lottery winnings which were used to build this opulent mansion by A. H. Lee, would burn in the Chicago Fire on October 10, 1871.

⚜️ This mansion suffered the same consequence almost 100 years later. ⚜️

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Events • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 38° 5.138′ N, 90° 5.847′ W. Marker is in Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, in Randolph County. Marker is on Market Street, 0.1 miles north of Duclos Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 235 Market St, Prairie du Rocher IL 62277, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 1993 - Prairie du Rocher Spared (here, next to this marker); The Creole House (a few steps from this marker); 1864 U.S. Civil War Skirmish in Prairie du Rocher (a few steps from this marker); 1902 - Railroad Granted Easement (within shouting distance of this marker); 1916 - Fort de Chartres Becomes a State Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Conner's Store (within shouting distance

Photographed By Thomas Smith, September 10, 2022

2. Lee- Brickey Mansion Destroyed Marker

of this marker); 1765 - Living under British Rule (within shouting distance of this marker); 1889 - First Phantom Funeral Sighting Documented (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Prairie du Rocher.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2022, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 164 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 12, 2022, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.