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State
Historic Sites Close
12 Historic Sites Closed Their
Doors on November 30th
Despite widespread protests by Landmarks Illinois
members, state legislators, and the general public, Gov.
Rod Blagojevich in November decided not to restore the
$2.4 million in budget cuts he had made earlier this
year for human services, state parks, and historic
sites. As a result, 12 historic sites closed their doors
on November 30th. Topping the list was Frank Lloyd
Wright's Dana-Thomas House in Springfield, one of the
acclaimed architect's best-known residential designs.
Other state historic sites that are now closed, due
to the budget cuts:
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Apple River
Fort, Elizabeth |
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Black Hawk
Site, Rock Island (Hauberg Indian Museum to be
half-closed) |
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Bishop Hill
Museum, Bishop Hill (Colony Church and
Bjorklund Hotel) |
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Cahokia
Courthouse, Cahokia |
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Fort de
Chartres, Prairie du Rocher |
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Fort
Kaskaskia, Ellis Grove |
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Jubilee
College, near Brimfield |
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Lincoln Log
Cabin, near Charleston |
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Pierre
Menard Home, Ellis Grove |
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Old
Statehouse, Vandalia |
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Carl Sandburg Home, Galesburg |
What does
this mean and how will it impact you?
Historic
Preservation
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With only minimal caretaker staff, these closed
sites will be more susceptible to vandalism and
neglect. |
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With the lack of public visitors, the pressure
to maintain these sites will greatly diminish.
The state's recent lack of capital improvement
funds for these properties further complicates
this issue. |
Tourism
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A significant decrease in the 2.6 million annual
visitors to these sites and their host
communities. One estimate suggests a potential
loss of $717 million in tourism dollars for
hotels, restaurants, and retail stores
statewide. |
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A
marketing loss to the Illinois Bureau of Tourism
for international and group tours--a market that
takes years to build back. Ironically, this also
comes at a time when gas prices have increased
the demand for in-state tourism. |
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Decrease in special events, such as the
Rendezvous at Fort de Chartres (14,000 visitors)
and the Olde English Faire at Jubilee College
(18,000 visitors), which those communities rely
upon economically. |
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A
drop in the number of venues that can be used to
promote and host visitors during the Lincoln
Bicentennial in 2009. The states of Indiana and
Kentucky will likely capture more of those
visitors during the Bicentennial year. |
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Student group tours will have fewer options of
historic sites en route to Springfield and other
destinations--resulting in more "electronic
field trips" for state and local history. |
Economic
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Many of the 100 full-time staff at these
historic sites will lose their jobs, experience
that will not be easy to replace should the
sites ever reopen. |
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State revenue created by special events,
weddings, parking, film permits, and other
sources will be reduced. |
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"Main Street" communities that house these
historic sites will experience economic loss
from lack of visitors to restaurants and
businesses. |
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These Illinois "Main Street" communities already
have been impacted by the $239,000 budget
elimination of IHPA's Design Services Program,
which provides pro bono faηade improvement
designs to commercial building owners. |
What You Can Do
Continue to pressure your state politicians to amend the
budget and re-open Illinois state historic sites.
Find Your Elected Official
Press Coverage and Releases
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