| |
|
|
Record Number of Grants for 2012
In the third
year of Landmarks Illinois’ statewide County Courthouse
Initiative, eight counties will receive restoration
grants totaling close to $300,000.
This multi-year, $1 million program, funded by the
Richard H. Driehaus Charitable Lead Trust, was created
in 2009 to help fund the restoration of critical
courthouse features of historic county courthouses
throughout Illinois.
Over the past two years, this matching grant program has
funded six projects across the state providing
assistance for clock tower restorations, lighting plans,
and the restoration of Lady Justice atop the dome in
Paris.
Grant applications are limited to courthouses listed in
or eligible for listing on the National Register of
Historic Places. The projects are reviewed by an
advisory committee composed of architects, courthouse
experts, and Landmarks Illinois board members. The
following were awarded grants for projects that will be
completed in 2012:
Brown County, Mt. Sterling – Sited just off Main
Street, this neoclassical style brick courthouse was
constructed in 1868 and is a significant part of the
city’s heritage. The grant will provide funding for a
lighting plan, which is part of an overall
revitalization plan for downtown Mt. Sterling.
Christian County, Taylorsville – This 1901
limestone courthouse is located on a grassy square in
the center of town. The county will use the grant funds
to replace the non-original entry doors on three
elevations with recreations of the wood and
glazed-window originals.
Cumberland County, Toledo – With its prominent
clock tower, the 1887 red brick courthouse is the main
focal point of the downtown. The county will use the
grant to restore the clock and bell, which haven’t
worked for many years.
Lawrence County, Lawrenceville – Recently placed
on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1888
Renaissance Revival style courthouse features an
octagonal clock tower topped with a copper cupola. The
county is undertaking a major restoration of the clock
tower, including reconnecting the bell.
Macoupin County, Carlinville – This stately
courthouse, the largest in Illinois, was designed by
architect Elijah Myers and constructed between 1867 and
1870. Although the county has been working on the
restoration of the building for some time, it still
needs major repairs. The county will use their grant to
restore the west entry stairs, which have been unstable
for many years.
Schuyler County, Rushville – A second floor
balcony with arched windows and colonnade graces this
1881 Romanesque Revival style building just off the main
square. The grant will fund the repair and restoration
of the courthouse’s brick and sandstone clock tower.
Shelby County, Shelbyville – The Second Empire
brick courthouse, constructed in 1882, features statues of Liberty and Justice in two alcoves over the front
entrance. The county will use grant funds to light the
building’s prominent domed clock tower.
Stark County, Toulon – Constructed in 1857, this
courthouse is one of the state’s oldest. The county will
use the grant funds to restore the cupola – the main
feature of this little gem of a building.
The application deadline for the next round of “Driehaus
County Courthouse” grants is August 1, 2012.
Applications will be accepted for courthouses listed on
or eligible for listing on the National Register of
Historic Places.
Click here, for Grant Guidelines and Application.
|
|
