Third Lake, IL

Third Lake is a Lake County village of 1,111 residents in the 2020 census, set among the lake communities around Gages Lake and Druce Lake. The name came late: the water body now called Third Lake was previously Chittendon Lake and was renamed in 1954. The village's older map is a mix of farming families, lake names, and roads connecting it to the rest of Lake County. That history gives a small residential place a surprisingly specific geography. The village's small size makes those two threads easy to see in one walk through the local map.

ATTRVujcic / CC BY 2.0

The most distinctive institution is New Gracanica, a Serbian Orthodox church and monastery complex in the village. The church and main building were completed and consecrated in 1984, and the grounds include the Joe Buley Memorial Library, which focuses on Serbian and Orthodox history and culture. Third Lake's local scoop is a compact Illinois village where the lakes carry the older story and a regional Serbian religious center gives the address a wider cultural connection.