Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Heritage Fund grant program provides monetary assistance to significant structures or sites in Illinois that are under threat of demolition, in imminent deterioration, in need of stabilization, in need of structural or reuse evaluation, or need to be evaluated for landmark eligibility. Created in 2004, the program targets projects focusing on engineering, architectural and feasibility studies, stabilization, legal services, survey and National Register Nominations and preservation ordinance support. Preservation Heritage Fund grants are awarded twice a year. Read more about the recipients of the grant program below. Click here to see all previous Preservation Heritage Fund grant recipients.
2024 Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Recipients
ANNOUNCED JUNE 2024
Theatre Y, Chicago
GRANT AMOUNT: $5,000
Theatre Y is located within the former Jackson Storage and Van Company Warehouse, constructed ca. 1890 and reconstructed in 1927. The building will be adapted to house the Theatre as well as become a hub for mission-aligned organizations such as Bee Love Cafe, Open Books Pay What You Want Bookstore, North Lawndale Reads, The Firehouse Community Arts Center and Equiticity. The grant from Landmarks Illinois will be used for architectural fees associated with the rehabilitation.
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Project XV
GRANT AMOUNT: $5,000
Project XV is working to restore the Legacy Building in El Paso, Illinois, constructed in 1872-1874. Once complete, the organization plans to use the building to house the state’s first voting rights museum. The historic building was once home to a barber shop owned by David Strother, who became the first Black man to cast a ballot in Illinois following the passage of the 15th Amendment. Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Heritage Fund grant will be used to install a floor in the former barbershop, trim out the room, doors, and windows and weatherize the space for the ongoing preservation effort. A previous Preservation Heritage Fund grant in 2023 helped pay for electrical repairs and replace windows on the building.
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Our Saviour Parish & Grade School, Jacksonville
GRANT AMOUNT: $2,500
Our Saviour Parish & Grade School’s rectory was constructed in 1896 in the Queen Anne architectural style. In 1995, due to the deterioration of the structure, the Diocese of Springfield was considering demolishing the home. However, the Old Rectory Task Force took over the building and made the appropriate repairs to save the building from demolition. And, in 2015,the church’s priests moved back into it. Today, the rectory’s porch needs critical repairs, as it has been deemed unsafe. The grant from Landmarks Illinois will be used to replace the porch’s support beams and complete other necessary repairs.
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Living Sanctuary of Faith Church of God In Christ
GRANT AMOUNT: $5,000
Built in 1903, the Living Sanctuary of Faith Church of God In Christ is located within the Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie School of Architecture Historic District, which is recognized as a local landmark district as well as listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Age and water infiltration have taken a toll on the Gothic-style building, leading to necessary repairs such as tuck-pointing, foundation stabilization and roof work. The Landmarks Illinois grant will help pay for masonry repairs as detailed in a recent building condition assessment report.
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Oak Park & River Forest Day Nursery
GRANT AMOUNT: $3,000
The Day Nursery provides a nurturing and educational environment for children of local families. It is located in a 1926 Tudor-Revival building designed by architect Charles E. White. In 2022, it was designated an Oak Park Historical Landmark. Deferred maintenance has led to water infiltration in the building. The grant from Landmarks Illinois will be used to restore windows on the east and north sides of the building.
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Pike County Historical Society, Pittsfield
GRANT AMOUNT: $5,000
The Shastid House was built in 1838 by John Greene Shastid, a friend of Abraham Lincoln. The timber-framed home is a local and nationally designated landmark and is part of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. The historical society will use the grant from Landmarks Illinois to install a new roof on the historic home.
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W.A. McDonnell Foundation, Richmond
GRANT AMOUNT: $3,000
The oldest surviving building in the northeastern Illinois village is called “Old #90.” The structure was built in 1844 by Charles Cotting, who platted the town of Richmond. Built into a small hill and made of river rock, the building’s foundation has eroded over time and the entire structure has deteriorated. The W.A. McDonnell Foundation will use the grant from Landmarks Illinois to help stabilize the foundation. Once habitable, the organization plans to open a small local historical museum in the building and use the remaining space for offices and meetings. A previous Preservation Heritage Fund grant in 2021 from Landmarks Illinois helped pay for a structural engineering assessment of the building.
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