Nicholas Jarrot Mansion

The Nicholas Jarrot Mansion is a two-story house featuring a central entrance hall, four rooms on the ground floor, and a ballroom with drawing room upstairs. The structure combines solid brick masonry with geometric lines typical of early American Federal design.

Built between 1807 and 1810, the mansion was constructed for Nicholas Jarrot, a French-born entrepreneur who controlled thousands of acres in the region. His wealth and landholdings marked his rise to prominence in the developing American frontier society.

The house reflects a shift from French Colonial traditions toward American Federal design, mirroring how successful merchant families of the era adopted East Coast architectural styles. This choice of building elements reveals the owner's ties to the emerging American identity and commercial networks.

The mansion sits at the intersection of Illinois Routes 3 and 157 with accessible parking nearby. An elevator allows access to the first floor, and paved paths make the grounds straightforward to navigate.

The building survived the major New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812 with minimal structural damage. This resilience reflected superior brick construction methods that only skilled craftsmen could execute at that time.