2016 Preservation Heritage Grant Recipients

Lawrence County Historical Society: Pepple School and Dr. John Frank Schrader’s Office, Bridgeport

The Lanterman Park History Center consists of two historic structures: Pepple School and Dr. John Frank Schrader’s Office. Both buildings, constructed in the 1890s, remained in use until the 1940s and have been virtually unchanged ever since. The historical society intends to use the buildings as a site for educational field trips for local schools and the public to show the conditions of common practices in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The historical society will use the $1500 grant, awarded in March 2016, for structural and physical repairs.

National Trust for Historic Preservation: South Side Community Arts Center

The South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) opened in 1940 as part of the WPA Federal Art Project as the first black art center of its kind in the U.S. The building is currently in need of repairs including the roof, repointing, windows repairs and unusable space in the basement. The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) plans to formally announce SSCAC as one of their National Treasures in early 2017. Part of the collaboration between SSCAC and NTHP includes preparation of a National Register nomination listing SSCAC for national significance. The NTHP is seeking funding to assist with this portion of the overall project.

Monumental Baptist Church: Chicago

The Romanesque Revival style church, built in 1899 and designed by Patton, Fisher and Miller, is located in Bronzeville. The congregation used a Landmarks Illinois Preservation Heritage emergency grant, given in January 2016, for a new boiler.

Chicago Regal Foundation: New Regal Theater, Chicago

Originally built as the Avalon in 1927, this is a prime example of the “atmospheric” motion picture palace. It was designed in a Middle Eastern/Moorish-style by noted movie palace architect John Eberson. The 2,300-seat theater has changed hands several times over the years and has functioned as a church, a cultural venue, and a live performance space. A Preservation Heritage Grant was awarded in January 2016 for emergency masonry repairs to the exterior of the building.

DeKalb Area Women’s Center: DeKalb Area Women’s Center, DeKalb

The DeKalb Area Women’s Center, formerly the Finnish Temperance Hall was built in 1917 and was designated a local landmark in 2013. The Temperance Society in DeKalb existed until 1952. The building now houses the DeKalb Area Women’s Center, which functions as a cultural, arts, educational, resource and service organization. The women’s center completed the stabilization of the building in 2014 and are will use the $1000 grant, awarded in March 2016, to restore several windows and install storm windows.

Barnstorming Inc.: Davidson Barn, Eureka

The Davidson Barn, constructed in 1838-1839, is a rare surviving example of a settlement-era barn. It is noted for its large size, method of construction and relatively good integrity. A nonprofit organization, Barnstorming, Inc., was created with a mission of saving the Davidson Barn. Barnstorming has entered into an agreement with the City of Eureka to relocate the barn to City-owned property to be used as a community center. Barnstorming is using the grant, awarded in March 2016, to complete a frame assessment to determine the work necessary to relocate the barn by disassembling it.

Evanston History Center: Charles Gates Dawes House, Evanston

The Evanston History Center is located in the historic Charles Gates Dawes House, built in 1894 on a nearly two-acre lakefront site. The three-and-a-half story French chateaux-style mansion was designed by Henry Edwards-Ficken. This National Historic Landmark was listed on LI’s Chicagoland Watch List in 2008 due to $4 million of needed repairs. Since that time, the History Center has completed an architectural and structural assessment of the building and completed Phase I and II of the restoration. They are currently preparing to begin Phase III, which will focus on masonry repair and interior structural repairs. The History Center seeks funding for construction administrative services for Phase III restoration.

St. John’s United Church of Christ: Maeystown

The entire village of Maeystown, founded by German immigrants, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. ]St. John United Church of Christ was built in 1866 from locally quarried limestone. In 1905, stain glass windows were installed by Jacoby Art Glass of St. Louis. The congregation recently restored the windows and now they are seeking funds to paint the exterior window frames. The church congregation has proven to be good stewards to their historic church building and property, having received a Preservation Heritage Fund grant in 2015 to restore the stone wall on their property.

Unity Temple Restoration Foundation: Unity Temple, Oak Park

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple has been undergoing a major restoration of the interior and exterior of the building since 2015. The $23 million restoration is expected to be completed in Spring of 2017. The Unity Temple Restoration Foundation is requesting funding for a portion of the restoration —specifically four lighting fixtures, “temple pendants,” in the Unity Temple auditorium.

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