Press Room

Landmarks Illinois & Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Joint letter in support of the Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act

March 10, 2022

Landmarks Illinois and the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway wrote this joint letter to the Illinois Congressional Delegation in support of H.R. 3600, the Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act. Co-signed by more than 60 city officials along Route 66 and/or state organizations, the letter states designating Route 66 as a National Historic Trail will “help preserve and promote the road itself as well as increase economic development opportunities for the communities that have long supported its cultural heritage, intrinsic qualities and idiosyncratic character.”

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS AWARDS GRANT FUNDING TO PRESERVATION PROJECTS IN CHICAGO, EFFINGHAM AND SPRINGFIELD

March 8, 2022

Landmarks Illinois has awarded $16,500 in matching grant funds to four preservation projects across the state through its Preservation Heritage Fund and Timuel D. Black Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side grant programs. The grant recipients are located in Chicago, Effingham and Springfield.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS’ SKYLINE COUNCIL & PEOPLE FOR COMMUNITY RECOVERY BRING HEART BOMB EVENT TO ALTGELD GARDENS FEBRUARY 12

February 4, 2022

The Skyline Council, Landmarks Illinois’ young and emerging professionals committee, will host its annual heart bombing event February 12 at two historic structures at Altgeld Gardens, the Shop Building and School Building C. The heart bombing, organized in partnership with People for Community Recovery (PCR), will shower the two buildings at the Chicago Housing Authority-owned complex on the city’s Far South Side with paper hearts and other public displays of affection ahead of Valentine’s Day.

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Landmarks Illinois’ PRESERVATION FORWARD event will honor ‘2022 Influencers’ March 10 in Chicago

January 20, 2022

Landmarks Illinois will host its spring fundraising event PRESERVATION FORWARD the evening of March 10, 2022, at the Old Post Office in Chicago. The event will honor the 2022 Landmarks Illinois Influencers, a group of seven women honorees who have shaped Illinois’ built environment and, who through their work, are joining Landmarks Illinois in its progressive effort to create a more diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible preservation movement

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Landmarks Illinois Rivers McCormick Endorsement

January 3, 2022

Landmarks Illinois submitted this letter to Farpoint Development regarding its Rivers McCormick proposal for reuse of Lakeside Center in Chicago.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS AWARDS GRANT FUNDING TO 14 PRESERVATION PROJECTS IN ILLINOIS

December 15, 2021

Landmarks Illinois has awarded $35,000 to 14 preservation projects in Illinois through its three grant programs: the Preservation Heritage Fund, the Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois and the Timuel D. Black Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS WELCOMES NEW REGIONAL ADVOCACY MANAGER TO SERVE PEOPLE SAVING PLACES IN GREATER ILLINOIS COMMUNITIES

December 7, 2021

Landmarks Illinois has hired a new Regional Advocacy Manager, Quinn Adamowski, who will serve as the organization’s frontline preservation advocate in communities in the greater Illinois area outside Chicago and its suburbs.

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Landmarks Illinois seeks nominations for 2022 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

December 1, 2021

Landmarks Illinois is now accepting nominations for its 2022 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. Nonprofit organizations, neighborhood groups, preservation advocates, city officials and residents of Illinois are encouraged to submit a nomination for a place in their community that is in critical need of preservation. Nominations are due January 10, 2022.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS PUBLISHES WWI MONUMENTS OF ILLINOIS DATABASE CONTAINING MORE THAN 300 MEMORIALS OF THE GREAT WAR

November 11, 2021

In honor of Veterans Day, Landmarks Illinois has published its new online database of historic World War I monuments and memorials in Illinois. The Landmarks Illinois WWI Monuments of Illinois Database currently contains information on 311 monuments and memorials such as doughboy statues, plaques, sculptures and public spaces dedicated to honoring those who served in the Great War.

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PRESERVATION PROJECTS IN ALEDO, CHICAGO, NAUVOO, PARIS, TOWANDA & WAUKEGAN WIN AWARDS FROM LANDMARKS ILLINOIS

September 1, 2021

Outstanding preservation efforts in the Illinois communities of Aledo, Chicago, Nauvoo, Paris, Towanda and Waukegan are the recipients of the 2021 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. The nine award-winning preservation projects and people who made them possible will be honored at an in-person & virtual ceremony the evening of October 22 at the historic Davis Theater in Chicago.

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New Landmarks Illinois database highlights over 100 women who built Illinois

August 18, 2021

Landmarks Illinois has published an online database, Women Who Built Illinois, which includes information on over 100 female architects, engineers, developers, designers, builders, landscape architects, interior designers and clients and their projects between 1879 and 1979.

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Landmarks Illinois announces staff developments as part of ongoing restructuring & re-envisioning of organization

August 2, 2021

Landmarks Illinois is pleased to announce exciting new staff developments that will further enable the organization to serve the people of Illinois and support our future plans for preservation in the state and nation. Three members of the Landmarks Illinois team have been promoted and/or have a new job title that more closely fits their mission-driven work.

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FRANK BUTTERFIELD STEPS INTO NEW CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER POSITION AT LANDMARKS ILLINOIS

June 23, 2021

Landmarks Illinois is proud to announce that Frank Butterfield has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO). Butterfield began working at Landmarks Illinois in 2013, in the then new role of Springfield Office Director. Over the past eight years, Butterfield has radically advanced the organization’s field work and made it possible for Landmarks Illinois to help more people save places in downstate Illinois.

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Two community preservation projects on Chicago’s South Side receive grant funding from Landmarks Illinois

June 22, 2021

Landmarks Illinois has awarded two new grants through its new Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side. The grants to LYTE Collective in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood and the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corp. in Auburn Gresham will support community preservation projects on the city’s South Side.

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Landmarks Illinois grants support preservation projects in six Illinois communities

June 10, 2021

Landmarks Illinois has awarded a total of $17,000 in matching grants to support historic preservation efforts in six Illinois communities. Projects in Chicago, Jacksonville, Lockport, St. Charles and Wood Dale were awarded grants through Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Heritage Fund. And, a preservation effort in Pike County at the former New Philadelphia site was awarded a grant through Landmarks Illinois’ Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois.

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Landmarks Illinois announces 2021 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

May 5, 2021

Landmarks Illinois has announced the 2021 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois, its annual list of the top threatened architecturally and culturally significant sites throughout the state. (Pictured: The Shop Building, also known as “Up-Top,” at Altgeld Gardens in Chicago. Credit: Sean Reilly)

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Landmarks Illinois calls for nominations for 2021 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards

April 7, 2021

Landmarks Illinois is accepting nominations now through June 1 for the 2021 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. The annual awards program honors individuals, organizations, projects and programs in Illinois whose work demonstrates a commitment to excellence in preservation and protects the historic places that matter to people and their communities. (Photo: Richard Driehaus and Bonnie McDonald, President and CEO of Landmarks Illinois, at the 2018 preservation award ceremony with award recipients Casey Weeks and Dale Chapman of the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities in Edwardsville. Credit: Pivot-Photography)

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Landmarks Illinois Chicago Zoning Committee Meeting Public Comment Re: Chicago Ald. King Zoning Amendment for cultural institutions

March 23, 2021

Bonnie McDonald, Landmarks Illinois President & CEO, gave the attached public comment at the March 23, 2021, meeting of the Chicago Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards addressing a proposed zoning ordinance amendment that would have made establishing cultural institutions like house museums in residential-zoned districts extremely difficult.

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Landmarks Illinois Letter of Objection Re: Chicago Ald. King Zoning Amendment for cultural institutions

March 6, 2021

Landmarks Illinois sent the attached letter to the Chicago Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards voicing opposition to a proposed zoning ordinance amendment that would have made establishing cultural institutions like house museums in residential-zoned districts extremely difficult.

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Landmarks Illinois celebrates past & future of preservation movement at 50th anniversary event ‘50Forward’

February 24, 2021

Landmarks Illinois will host a 50th anniversary event, 50Forward, the evening of March 25, 2021. The hour-long, virtual fundraising event will include live entertainment, inspiring videos highlighting Landmarks Illinois’ past, present and future as well as tributes to our 20 “Landmarks Illinois Influencers.”

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SKYLINE COUNCIL HOSTS ‘HEART BOMBING’ ON VALENTINE’S DAY WEEKEND AT HISTORIC ROBERTS TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST IN BRONZEVILLE

February 8, 2021

Landmarks Illinois’ young and emerging professionals committee, the Skyline Council, is partnering with the congregation of Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ to create a “heart bombing” public art display at the historic church in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood this Valentine’s Day weekend. (Photo credit: Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Daily News collection/Chicago History Museum)

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Preservation projects in Chicago, Millstadt, Robbins and Yorkville receive Landmarks Illinois grants

January 27, 2021

Landmarks Illinois has awarded a total of $15,000 to six historic preservation projects statewide through the organization’s three grant programs: the Preservation Heritage Fund, the Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois and the Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side.

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Landmarks Illinois seeks nominations for 2021 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

December 16, 2020

Landmarks Illinois is now accepting nominations for its 2021 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. The annual Most Endangered list is Landmarks Illinois’ longest-running advocacy program and calls attention to historic and culturally significant sites throughout the state that are threatened with deterioration, demolition or inappropriate development. Nominations are due January 22, 2021.

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Statement from Landmarks Illinois regarding the final Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement for the Obama Presidential Center

November 19, 2020

On November 17, 2020, the Landmarks Illinois Board of Directors approved signing the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). In recognition of the significant public participation and local input in the process unlike we have seen before, Landmarks Illinois concurs with the MOA. Our signature, however, is accompanied by significant dissatisfaction with how regulators managed the Section 106 process and deep concerns about the precedent their actions may set.

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Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Program provides funding to restoration projects in four Illinois communities

September 15, 2020

Landmarks Illinois has awarded a total of $10,000 in grant funding to historic preservation projects in Chicago, Havana, Peoria and Plainfield, Illinois, through the Landmarks Illinois Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Program.Each Preservation Heritage Fund grant recipient has been awarded a $2,500 matching grant.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS AWARDS FIRST GRANT THROUGH TIMUEL D. BLACK, JR. GRANT FUND FOR CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE TO THE MUDDY WATERS MOJO MUSEUM

September 15, 2020

Landmarks Illinois has awarded the first grant through its new Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side to the Muddy Waters Original Jam Out (MOJO) Museum, a nonprofit working to preserve blues legend Muddy Waters’ former home in North Kenwood and convert it into a museum and cultural center. McKinley Morganfield, aka Muddy Waters, purchased the brick two flat in 1954 and lived in it until the 1970s.

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Recipients of 2020 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards Announced

September 9, 2020

Landmarks Illinois is excited to announce the nine recipients of the 2020 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. The annual awards program, now in its 27th year, honors exceptional historic preservation projects and the people saving important places in Illinois.

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Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald named 2020 Fitch Fellow

August 18, 2020

Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald is the recipient of a James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation 2020 Mid-Career Fellowship, which McDonald will use to produce a “Relevancy Guidebook for the U.S. Preservation Movement.” The annual grant is given to distinguished professionals to conduct research that provides significant value to the preservation field worldwide. (Photo: McDonald (left) with Fairleigh Jackson, Executive Director of Preserve Louisiana, who McDonald interviewed for her project.)

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Landmarks Illinois letter to Rock Island County Board

August 4, 2020

Landmarks Illinois sent this letter to the Rock Island County Board regarding the Rock Island County Courthouse. Co-signed by fellow plaintiffs in our lawsuit to prevent unlawful demolition of the Rock Island County Courthouse, the letter expresses our interest in working with the county to avoid any future litigation and to find a preservation solution for the historic building.

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Landmarks Illinois celebrates appellate court’s decision in lawsuit to prevent unlawful demolition of historic Rock Island County Courthouse

July 17, 2020

The Illinois Appellate Court issued its opinion July 16, 2020, in Landmarks Illinois’ ongoing lawsuit against the Rock Island County Board and Rock Island County Public Building Commission to prevent the proposed demolition of the historic Rock Island County Courthouse. The Appellate Court decision agreed with Landmarks Illinois’ argument that Rock Island County cannot defy state agencies and must comply with the Illinois State Historic Resources Preservation Act in its pursuit to demolish the historic courthouse. It also agreed Landmarks Illinois has legal standing to sue the county. Read our press release for more details.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS SOLIDARITY STATEMENT

June 4, 2020

Landmarks Illinois has issued a statement in response to the death of George Floyd and ongoing protests and our dedication to breaking down systems of racism and injustice and ensuring equity in our work.

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Landmarks Illinois provides emergency funding to 13 Illinois nonprofits through pandemic relief grant program

June 4, 2020

Landmarks Illinois has announced the recipients of its one-time special grant fund, the Landmarks Illinois COVID-19 Organization Relief Grant Program. Each recipient will receive a $2,000 grant to help pay for essential, organizational expenditures. Landmarks Illinois created the grant program to help community development, preservation and other partner nonprofits throughout the state during the coronavirus health crisis.

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New Landmarks Illinois Grant Fund targets South Side of Chicago historic sites in honor of civil rights activist Timuel D. Black, Jr.

May 19, 2020

Landmarks Illinois has created a new grant fund in celebration of the life and work of acclaimed civil rights leader, educator, historian, author and WWII veteran, Timuel D. Black, Jr. The Landmarks Illinois Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side will provide small grants to support planning and capital projects that work to preserve and promote the history, culture and architecture of Chicago’s South Side, which Mr. Black has called home for the majority of his life.

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Landmarks Illinois seeks nominations for 2020 historic preservation awards

April 21, 2020

Landmarks Illinois is taking nominations now through June 15 for its 2020 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. The annual awards program honors individuals, organizations, projects and programs in Illinois whose work demonstrates a commitment to excellence in historic preservation.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS CREATES SPECIAL GRANT PROGRAM OFFERING NONPROFITS EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

April 16, 2020

Landmarks Illinois today launched its new Landmarks Illinois COVID-19 Organization Relief Grant Program, intended to provide monetary assistance to nonprofit organizations in the state of Illinois that have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications are due May 15.

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SEVEN ILLINOIS PRESERVATION PROJECTS AWARDED GRANT FUNDING FROM LANDMARKS ILLINOIS

February 4, 2020

Landmarks Illinois has awarded a total of $16,000 to seven preservation projects throughout the state through its Landmarks Preservation Heritage Fund and the Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund grant programs. Projects in Chicago, DeKalb, Elgin, Glencoe, Pleasant Plains, Rock Island and Salem received $1,000 to $2,500 matching grants each. Read our press release to learn more.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS’ 15TH ANNUAL LEGENDARY LANDMARKS CELEBRATION HONORS CULTURAL & CIVIC LEADERS IN CHICAGO

Landmarks Illinois will pay tribute to Timuel D. Black Jr., civil rights leader and educator; Joseph P. Gromacki, Senior Partner of Jenner & Block LLP; and Matthew and Daniel Walsh, Co-Chairmen of The Walsh Group, at the 2020 Legendary Landmarks Celebration in Chicago on March 5.

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Landmarks Illinois will celebrate restoration of former civil rights leader’s home on Martin Luther King Day

Landmarks Illinois will celebrate the completion of an important restoration project at the National Historic Landmark, the Oscar Stanton De Priest Apartment Building in Bronzeville, at a community event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 20, 2020. (Pictured: Landmarks Illinois Director of Grants & Easements Suzanne Germann, who oversaw the project for LI, with Kirk Sippel, project manager with Bauer Latoza Studios, at the De Priest Building.)

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Landmarks Illinois Awards $15,000 in grants to five Illinois preservation projects   

October 24, 2019

Landmarks Illinois has awarded $15,000 in grant funding to preservation projects in five Illinois communities through its Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Program. Individual grants range from $2,500 to $5,000 each and will be used toward restoring historic places in the following Illinois communities: Atlanta, Princeton, Rochelle, Rushville and Wilmington. Read our press release to learn more about each grant recipient. (Photo: The 1908 Atlanta Public Library Building)

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS CONGRATULATES RECIPIENTS OF FIRST ROUND OF ILLINOIS HISTORIC PRESERVATION TAX CREDITS, CELEBRATES PRESERVATION OF STATE’S HISTORIC BUILDINGS

August 30, 2019

The Illinois State Historic Preservation Office posted on its website four projects that will receive the first round of funding through the new Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program (SHTC). Landmarks Illinois celebrates this announcement and congratulates the four projects to receive this vital funding. LI released the following statement following this announcement. (Photo: Hotel Belleville, a former LI Most Endangered site and one of four projects the state said would receive the first round of funding through the SHTC program.)

Read LI's Response to the news

Landmarks Illinois and the National Trust for Historic Preservation Urge Governor Pritzker to Include Rehabilitation and Reuse Study of Iconic James R. Thompson Center in Building Sale RFQ

August 28, 2019

LI and the National Trust for Historic Preservation released a joint statement regarding the sale of the James R. Thompson Center. LI has included the Post-Modern building in Chicago’s Loop on our Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois for the past three years. The National Trust also included the threatened Thompson Center on its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list this year.

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Landmarks Illinois Announces 2019 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award Recipients

August 28, 2019

Landmarks Illinois has named this year’s recipients of the Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. The nine award-winning preservation projects, and the people who made them possible, will be honored at a ceremony in Chicago the evening of Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. Read our press release to see the people and places LI will honor at this year’s awards ceremony.

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LI STATEMENT TO THE OAK PARK HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION RE: FLWT Proposal for 931 & 925 CHICAGO AVE

August 27, 2019

Landmarks Illinois Lisa DiChiera gave a statement at the August 27, 2019, Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission Meeting regarding a proposal from the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust to move or demolition of two contributing structures to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS ANNOUNCES HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANT RECIPIENTS FOR FIRST HALF OF 2019

July 16, 2019

Landmarks Illinois has awarded $35,250 in grant funding to historic preservation projects across the state. The nine individual grants were awarded through Landmarks Illinois Preservation Heritage Fund and the Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund grant programs between January and June 2019. Read the full press release to learn about each grant recipient.

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SKYLINE COUNCIL OF LANDMARKS ILLINOIS HOSTS WHITNEY SCHOOLHOUSE CELEBRATION WITH CAMPTON TOWNSHIP JULY 20

July 15, 2019

The Skyline Council of Landmarks Illinois is partnering with Campton Township to host the Whitney Schoolhouse Celebration July 20, 2019, on the grounds of the historic, 1852 Whitney Schoolhouse in Kane County. The event allows community members to see up close the second-oldest, one-room schoolhouse in northeastern Illinois and tour other historic sites on the Daniel Whitney Residence and Farmstead. The Whitney Schoolhouse Celebration takes place 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Read the press release for full details.

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LI Statement to the Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission RE: 931 & 925 Chicago Ave

July 11, 2019

Director of Advocacy Lisa DiChiera gave two statements at the July 11, 2019, Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission meeting on behalf of Landmarks Illinois’ stance on proposed changes to two Frank Lloyd Wright Trust-owned structures. Read DiChiera’s statements below in opposition to the Trust’s proposal to alter or demolish the buildings.

LI Statement regarding 925 Chicago Avenue.

LI Statement regarding 931 Chicago Avenue.

 

LI Statement to the Rockford Historic Preservation Commission RE: Proposed Piety Hill Historic Landmark District

July 9, 2019

Read LI’s Director of Advocacy Lisa DiChiera’s statement to the Rockford Historic Preservation Commission regarding the proposed Rockford Landmark District for the Piety Hill neighborhood. LI’s statement is one of support for the historic district, which would protect historically and architecturally significant buildings and schools, including properties LI called attention to on its 2019 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. Click below to read the full statement.

Read LI's statement

Landmarks Illinois Accepts Proposal from Museum of Food and Drink to Showcase Ebony Test Kitchen in Future Exhibition

May 21, 2019

Landmarks Illinois is excited to announce it has accepted a proposal from the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) in Brooklyn, New York, to take possession of the iconic former Ebony Test Kitchen and prominently feature it in its anticipated national exhibition, African/American: Making the Nation’s Table. MOFAD’s proposal was one Landmarks Illinois received from interested parties and organizations during its request for proposal period that ended May 1, 2019. (Photo: Ebony’s Test Kitchen food counter. Credit: Barbara Karant)

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Landmarks Illinois Names 12 Historic Sites to 2019 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

May 1, 2019

Landmarks Illinois announced its 2019 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois at a press conference in Springfield on May 1, 2019. Read our press release to learn about the 12 places LI has included on this year’s list of the state’s top threatened historic sites. (Photo: Millstadt Milling & Feed Company. Credit: Liz Chilsen)

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New short video from Landmarks Illinois focuses on Illinois’ role in the Underground Railroad

February 20, 2019

Landmarks Illinois has released a short video focused on the Underground Railroad in Illinois. The roughly six-minute video, titled “People Saving Places: The Underground Railroad in Illinois,”  was directed by University of Chicago student Catalina Parra and marks the second phase of LI’s student video program. The new video successfully weaves together the collective history of three Illinois Underground Railroad sites and tells the inspiring true stories of Illinois residents and abolitionists helping former slaves find freedom in the mid-19 century.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS SEEKS QUALIFIED OWNER, STEWARD OF ICONIC FORMER JOHNSON PUBLISHING COMPANY TEST KITCHEN

February 12, 2019

Landmarks Illinois is looking for a new owner for the one-of-a-kind former Johnson Publishing Company Test Kitchen, designed in 1971 by Palm Springs-based interior designers William Raiser and Arthur Elrod. Today, LI issued issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) from qualified institutions, organizations, corporations or other entities interested in accepting ownership of the former test kitchen and reassembling it for educational display or use. Landmarks Illinois acquired the test kitchen in April 2018 for $1 and, with the help of professional volunteers among its membership and from the Skyline Council of Landmarks Illinois, documented, carefully disassembled and removed the kitchen from the Johnson Publishing Company Building. It has been safely kept in storage since. (Photo credit: Lee Bey Architectural Photography)

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS, NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ADVOCATES FILE LAWSUIT IN ROCK ISLAND REGARDING COURTHOUSE DEMOLITION PROCESS

February 6, 2019

Today, Landmarks Illinois (LI) joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Rock Island Preservation Society, the Moline Preservation Society, the Broadway Historic District Association and Rock Island Justice Center bondholder Fred Shaw in filing a lawsuit against the Rock Island County Public Building Commission (PBC) and the Rock Island County Board, to protect the historic Rock Island County Courthouse from unlawful demolition. The lawsuit asks the PBC to be held accountable for violating state preservation law, state law governing the authority and actions of public building commissions, as well as the terms of publicly funded bonds issued to construct the new Justice Center Annex.

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Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction

On February 7, 2019, Landmarks Illinois, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Rock Island Preservation Society, the Moline Preservation Society, the Broadway Historic District Association, and Fred Shaw (“Plaintiffs”) filed a Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) and Preliminary Injunction (“Injunction”) in the 14th Circuit Court to temporarily halt demolition of the historic Rock Island County Courthouse. The TRO and Injunction follow Plaintiffs’ filing on February 6, 2018 of a legal Complaint arguing that the Rock Island County Public Building Commission (“PBC”) and Rock Island County Board (“Board”) violated state law and the terms of publicly funded bonds in pursuing the Courthouse’s demolition. Filing the TRO and Injunction is a necessary legal step to stop any demolition action by the PBC and Board while the Compliant is being adjudicated.

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2019 Legendary Landmarks Celebration

January 22, 2019

Landmarks Illinois, a membership-based nonprofit organization advocating for the preservation and reuse of historic and architecturally significant properties throughout the state, will host its 14^th annual Legendary Landmarks Celebration the evening of Thursday, March 7, 2019, at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave.

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LI Letter to Rock Island County Public Building Commission, Jan. 16, 2019

January 16, 2019

On Wednesday, January 16, 2019, Landmarks Illinois (LI) sent a letter to the Rock Island County Public Building Commission to reiterate our position that the commission is not authorized to demolish the historic Rock Island County Courthouse until all state approvals and local permits have been issued. Landmarks Illinois believes the letter speaks for itself. We expect that public bodies will follow the law. We urge that in the interim they give consideration to soliciting proposals from private, public or institutional investors for adaptive reuse. LI stands ready to assist with information on financial incentives and adaptive reuse options, so this significant historic building continues to inspire future generations.

Read LI's Letter

Landmarks Illinois’ Latest Round of Grant Funding Provides Nearly $42,000 in Support to Statewide Historic Preservation Projects

October 16, 2018

Landmarks Illinois has announced its latest round of grant recipients through the organization’s Preservation Heritage Fund and the Landmarks Illinois WWI Monument Preservation grant programs. Five grants totaling $10,000 have been awarded through the Preservation Heritage Fund and five grants amounting to $31,900 were awarded through LI’s WWI Monument Preservation Grant Program. (Pictured: Claremont Cottages in Chicago)

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Landmarks Illinois Announces 2018 Preservation Awards Recipients, Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Annual Awards Program

August 1, 2018

Landmarks Illinois has announced the recipients of the 2018 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards – an annual program that calls attention to exceptional historic preservation projects in the state now celebrating its 25th anniversary. (Pictured: 2018 Award Recipient Revel Motor Row)

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Landmarks Illinois Provides Nearly $35,000 in Support to Nine Historic Preservation Projects through Latest Round of Grant Funding

June 28, 2018

Landmarks Illinois has awarded nearly $35,000 in grant funding to historic preservation projects in Illinois. Nine matching grants have been awarded in the latest round of funding through Landmarks Illinois’ three grant programs: the Preservation Heritage Fund, Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund and the WWI Monument Preservation Grant Program.

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Landmarks Illinois Preserves Ebony Test Kitchen from Johnson Publishing Company Building

June 11, 2018

Landmarks Illinois is working to preserve the iconic Ebony test kitchen from the former Johnson Publishing Company Building, a Chicago landmark. Landmarks Illinois recently acquired the test kitchen and materials for $1 and, with the help of volunteer professionals from its Skyline Council, disassembled the kitchen and removed it from the former headquarters of the Johnson Publishing Company. (Photo credit: Lewis Purdy)

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Illinois General Assembly Passes Bill to Improve and Expand Historic Tax Credit Program

On May 31, 2018, the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill to improve and expand the existing River Edge Redevelopment Zone Historic Tax Credit (RERZ). The bill amends the RERZ to enhance its usability and establishes a new statewide Historic Preservation Tax Credit across Illinois. The RERZ and Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit bills have been supported by Landmarks Illinois and the American Institute of Architects-Illinois since 2009. Both organizations provided language, testimony, research and expertise on tax credit best practices for the bill authors.

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Landmarks Illinois encourages nonprofits and government agencies to apply for funding for WWI monument restoration

Landmarks Illinois is encouraging communities across Illinois to apply to the final round of funding through the Landmarks Illinois WWI Monument Preservation Grant Program. The grant program provides financial support to WWI outdoor monuments and memorials in Illinois in need of restoration to recover their dedication-era quality and appearance. Grant applications for the final round of funding are due August 15, 2018.

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2018 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

Landmarks Illinois announced its 2018 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois on April 25, 2018, at a press conference in Springfield. Read the full press release to see which sites are included on this year’s ‘Most Endangered’ list.

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Thompson Center Reimagined

Landmarks Illinois included the James R. Thompson Center on its annual Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois in 2017 and again this year in 2018, demonstrating its extraordinary significance. As part of its 2018 ‘Most Endangered’ listing, Landmarks Illinois has commissioned renderings that visually demonstrate Thompson Center’s ability to be privately redeveloped as an exciting mixed-use destination.

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Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Program provides $15,800 in monetary support to five historic preservation projects

Landmarks Illinois has awarded $15,800 to five historic preservation projects in Illinois in the latest round of funding through its Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Program. Individual grant amounts range from $1,300 to $5,000 each for historic preservation efforts in the following communities: Bolingbrook, Elmhurst, Lombard, DuPage County and Shelbyville.

(Pictured: Governor John Wood Mansion in Quincy)

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2018 Legendary Landmarks Celebration Wrap-Up

Landmarks Illinois gathered with its closest supporters, friends and historic preservation advocates at the 2018 Legendary Landmarks Celebration on March 8, 2018. More than 830 people joined Landmarks Illinois for its 13th annual fundraiser and enjoyed cocktails, dinner, dessert, networking, entertainment and tributes to the 2018 Legendary Landmarks, who have made a positive impact on our city and state. The 2018 Legendary Landmarks Celebration raised over $850,000 in proceeds for Landmarks Illinois, which is used to fund the nonprofit’s Advocacy Program – the heart of LI’s work.

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2018 Legendary Landmarks Celebration

Landmarks Illinois will host its 13th annual Legendary Landmarks Celebration the evening of Thursday, March 8, 2018, at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave.Each year, Landmarks Illinois’ Legendary Landmarks Celebration honors civic and cultural leaders who are making an impact on Chicago and Illinois. Landmarks Illinois’ 2018 Legendary Landmarks Honorees are: Berglund Construction, our 2018 “Corporate Landmark,” with the honor being accepted by third-generation Owner Fred Berglund; Daniel Levin, Founder and Chairman of The Habitat Company; and Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS LETTER REGARDING OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS

On January 5, 2018, Landmarks Illinois wrote a letter to Abby Monroe, Coordinating Planner City of Chicago, Department of Planning and Development, regarding the response to request for comments on the proposed APE boundaries and APE historic features for the Obama Presidential Center Mobility Improvements.

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Landmarks Illinois Awards $32,500 in Funding to Latest Round of Grant Recipients

Landmarks Illinois is awarding $32,500 total to eight Illinois preservation projects in its latest round of grant funding through the Preservation Heritage Fund, Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund and Landmarks Illinois WWI Monument Preservation grant programs.

(Pictured: The Mott Building in Elsah, one of Landmarks Illinois’ recent grant recipients.)

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Cultural Historian Tim Samuelson Leads Free Lecture at Dana-Thomas House in Springfield, Hosted by Landmarks Illinois and Illinois Department of National Resources

Landmarks Illinois has partnered with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division to host a lecture led by Tim Samuelson, Cultural Historian for the City of Chicago, at the Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 4 p.m.

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Landmarks Illinois' Small Preservation Grants Create Big Impact at State Historic Sites

A new analysis of the nearly 200 grants Landmarks Illinois has awarded over the past 33 years shows recipients were able to use the LI funding to ultimately save an important historic resource and to leverage additional funds needed to finish a large-scale historic preservation project. A new study prepared by PlaceEconomics for Landmarks Illinois, called “No Small Change: The Grant Programs of Landmarks Illinois,” reviewed a total of 192 grants awarded between 1984 and 2017 through three Landmarks Illinois grant programs: The Endangered Building grant program, the Preservation Heritage Fund, and the Barbara C. Thomas E. Donnelley II grant program.

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Landmarks Illinois Statement on Governor Signing RERZ Historic Tax Credit Extension

On Friday, August 18, 2017, Governor Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill 1783, which extends the River Edge Redevelopment Zone (RERZ) Historic Tax Credit through 2021. Landmarks Illinois applauds the governor for extending this vital historic preservation incentive in Illinois. (Photo: Aurora St. Charles Senior Living in Aurora is one beneficiary of the tax credit, and is being honored by Landmarks Illinois at our 2017 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. credit: Leslie Schwartz)

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LI, Kennedy-King College and Vamonde partner to share inspiring stories of people saving places

Landmarks Illinois has partnered with the place-based storytelling platform Vamonde to share the inspiring stories included in a recent video project produced in collaboration with Kennedy-King College students.

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS WILL HONOR NINE STATEWIDE PRESERVATION PROJECTS AT SEPT. 16 AWARDS CEREMONY

Landmarks Illinois announced the recipients of the 2017 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. Every year, the awards pay tribute to inspiring individuals and organizations that put forth extraordinary effort to elevate historic preservation practice and advocacy in Illinois. Read the full press release for more about each award-winning historic preservation project. (Pictures: Joliet Central High School Student Center Addition)

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July 24 Statement Wheaton City Council

Landmarks Illinois Director of Advocacy Lisa DiChiera gave a statement to the Wheaton City Council on July 24 regarding a special use permit request for a planned unit development. The request would allow a local Wheaton couple to move the historic House of Seven Gables to a new location to prevent the home from being demolished.

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Landmarks Illinois Announces First Recipients of WWI Memorial Grant Program

Landmarks Illinois has awarded the first round of funding through the Landmarks Illinois World War I Monument Preservation Grant Program. The City of Aurora and the Second Indianhead Division Association are recipients of the recently launched grant program that provides monetary assistance to preserve World War I outdoor monuments and memorials in Illinois.

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Landmarks Illinois awards $31,500 in funding during first half of 2017 through annual grant programs

Landmarks Illinois today announced $31,500 in grant funding for a dozen historic preservation projects in Illinois through its Preservation Heritage Fund and Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund grant programs.

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Landmarks Illinois Will Honor Cedar Street Companies at Cocktail Reception at the Rehabilitated Bush Temple in Chicago

Landmarks Illinois’ Real Estate and Building Industries Council (RBIC) will honor Cedar Street Companies at its 2017 RBIC event on July 25, 2017 at the rehabilitated Bush Temple of Music in Chicago. Read the full press release for details on the event and Cedar Street’s adaptive reuse projects.

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Meet "People Saving Places" Student Interns from Kennedy-King College

Read the extended Q&A article with Kennedy-King College student filmmakers to learn about their experience creating a series of videos for Landmarks Illinois’ “People Saving Places” video project. A shorter version of this article published in our June 2017 print newsletter, The Arch.

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LI President Bonnie McDonald Testifies in Support of RERZ Historic Tax Credit Extension Bill

On April 12, 2017, Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald testified before the House Revenue & Finance Committee at a subject matter hearing in Chicago in support of bipartisan legislation to extend the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Historic Tax Credit (Pictured: Bonnie McDonald testifying, with local preservationist and economic development professional, Janet Mathis, in the background representing Renew Moline.)

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Landmarks Illinois announces 2017 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

Landmarks Illinois announced its 2017 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois on April 6, 2017, at a press conference in Springfield. Read the full press release to learn which historic sites around the state were named to this year’s list. (Pictured: James R. Thompson Center, Chicago. Credit: Landmarks Illinois)

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2017 Legendary Landmarks Celebration Wrap-Up

Landmarks Illinois and 755 guests, including longtime LI supporters, fellow historic preservation advocates, local officials and our 2017 Legendary Landmark Honorees, gathered at the Hilton Chicago on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, for the 12th Legendary Landmarks Celebration. Read more about our event and see photos from the evening. (Photo: 2017 Legendary Landmarks Daniel McCaffery, Richard Hunt and Fred Eychaner at Landmarks Illinois’ Legendary Landmarks Celebration, held March 15, 2017, at the Hilton Chicago. Credit: Diane Alexander White Photography)

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Landmarks Illinois Launches New WWI Monument Grant Program

On March 21, 2017, Landmarks Illinois announced a new grant program to provide monetary assistance to preserve World War I outdoor monuments and memorials within the state of Illinois.

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Letter to Wheaton Planning & Zoning Board Regarding the House of Seven Gables

On Feb. 13, 2017, Landmarks Illinois submitted a letter to the Wheaton Planning & Zoning Board that advocates for the reuse of the Jarvis Hunt-designed House of Seven Gables in the proposed redevelopment of the Loretto Convent property. The letter urges the Board and staff to work with the developer to redevelop the property while retaining the historic building.

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2017 Legendary Landmarks Celebration

Landmarks Illinois will host its annual Legendary Landmarks Celebration the evening of March 15, 2017 at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave. Now in its 12th year, the celebration pays tribute to civic and cultural leaders who are making a mark on Chicago and beyond. Read the full press release to learn more about the event and this year’s Legendary Landmarks Honorees.

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Landmarks Illinois Statement: Public Documents Show YWCA Demolition More Costly Than Rehab

Landmarks Illinois believes recently released public documents on the Springfield City Clerk’s website show that reuse of the YWCA building in the Central Springfield Historic District would be more economically feasible than demolition of the structure.

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Landmarks Illinois’ Statement on City’s sound insulation program in Norwood Park

Landmarks Illinois believes the City of Chicago’s federally funded sound insulation program for designated residences within the Norwood Park Historic District provides homeowners with the proper resources to sound insulate their houses while maintaining the historic character of the structure. Read our full statement for why we believe this program is a smart and deserving investment in a nationally recognized historic community. (photo credit: Gabriel X. Michael)

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2016 Real Estate and Building Industries Council Event

Landmarks Illinois will present Amtrak with its 2016 Real Estate and Building Industries Council (RBIC) Award at a cocktail networking reception Wednesday, November 30, 2016 from 6-8 p.m. in the newly restored Burlington Room at Chicago Union Station.

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Landmarks Illinois' Statement on Loretto Convent Property Development Plans in Wheaton

On November 14, 2016, Landmarks Illinois submitted a statement to the Wheaton City Council regarding a Planned Unit Development proposal for the Loretto Convent property. The plans call for demolition of the historic House of Seven Gables, a home LI has placed on its Chicagoland Watch List in the past and one we believe exceptionally important both architecturally and historically to the city of Wheaton.

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Elgin Laundry Building Reuse Study

Landmarks Illinois, in partnership with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) and the City of Elgin, released a study that explores reuse opportunities for the Elgin Laundry Building, a unique accordion-shaped facility designed by Bertrand Goldberg and built on the former Elgin Mental Health Hospital grounds. The study identifies how the currently unused Elgin Laundry Building could be reused as a multipurpose recreational facility.

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St. Boniface Saved - Landmarks Illinois' statement on the news

After 17 years of advocacy, the historic former St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church in Chicago’s Near Northwest Side neighborhood will finally have a new life. On Friday, Sept. 23, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development announced the church had been purchased by Chicago developer Stas Development, saving the historic building from demolition.

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2016 RICHARD H. DRIEHAUS FOUNDATION PRESERVATION AWARD WINNERS

September 22, 2016

Landmarks Illinois will honor nine exceptional historic preservation projects next month at the Landmarks Illinois 2016 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards Celebration Saturday, October 22, 2016 at Venue One in Chicago.

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Historic Preservation at 50: Chicago and the Future of the Movement

Glessner House Museum, Landmarks Illinois and AIA Chicago will hold a day-long symposium, Historic Preservation at 50: Chicago and the Future of the Movement, Saturday, October 8, focused on the future of historic preservation in Chicago and honoring the preservation efforts of our past.

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