The monthly Landmarks Illinois News Roundup keeps you in the loop on the latest preservation news stories from the month as well as Landmarks Illinois’ main advocacy efforts, projects and announcements. You can also receive these monthly news roundups directly in your inbox by signing up for our newsletters at the bottom of the page.
October 2024 Preservation News Roundup
Landmarks Illinois celebrates longtime staff member Marija Rich’s retirement
After 35 years serving Landmarks Illinois, longtime staff member Marija Rich has retired. Landmarks Illinois hosted an intimate party to honor and celebrate Marija on October 25 at the Murphy Auditorium in Chicago. Current and former staff and board members and her closest current and former colleagues, friends and LI supporters raised their glass to toast Marija, thanking her for her decades of service to the organization and wishing her a happy retirement.
Marija first joined the staff in 1989. Throughout her tenure, she has managed the organization’s membership program and annual appeals. For many years, she also led the Preservation Snapshots Lecture series. In addition to being Landmarks Illinois’ information technology administrator and managing office computers and donor software, she was the staff and board’s go-to source for institutional knowledge on the organization. Marija was an absolute pleasure to work alongside. She brought a calming presence and sophistication to the staff that will be greatly missed.
Please join us in thanking Marija and bidding her farewell!
Grant funds aid people saving places in Bronzeville, Oakland and Pullman on Chicago’s South Side
Landmarks Illinois has awarded over $31,000 in grant funding to preservation efforts on the South Side of Chicago, helping people save significant places in their neighborhoods. The grants through the Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side will aid projects in the Bronzeville, Oakland and Pullman neighborhoods.
- Phyllis Wheatley Home Group, Bronzeville: $10,000 to help determine and pay for priority repairs needed at the Phyllis Wheatley Home at 5128 S. Michigan Ave.
- Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, Oakland: $3,000 for a historical marker at the site of the former Madden Park Homes housing development where the Black Panther Party served the community through its Free Breakfast for Children Program.
- Revolution Workshop, Pullman: $10,000 for exterior restoration work on a historic rowhouse at 10730 S. Langley Ave. (pictured), located within the boundaries of the Pullman National Historical Park.
- Share Your Soles, Pullman: $8,375 for exterior repair work to the historic Pullman Stables building in Pullman National Historical Park.
Next grant application deadline: January 1
Applications are now open for the next round of funding through the Landmarks Illinois Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side. Applications are due January 1.
The grant fund provides financial support to people preserving and promoting the history, culture and architecture of Chicago’s South Side. This grant program is open to both nonprofits and for-profit entities. Potential grant amounts range from $500 to $10,000 each, depending on project need. Grants are awarded on a 3:1 matching basis.
(Pictured: Phyllis Wheatley Home Group, 2024 grant recipient)
Apply for a grant
Hundreds help us honor our 2024 Preservation Award Winners
We held our 2024 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards Ceremony on October 18 at the historic Apollo’s 2000 theater in Chicago. The annual awards ceremony honored our nine 2024 preservation award winners and featured a sit-down awards ceremony and cocktail reception. Thank you to the nearly 200 people who gathered to help us celebrate the people saving places across Illinois and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation for supporting our program for the past 31 years. Congratulations again to the 2024 award winners!
Click below to view photos from the event. Visit our website here to learn more about the award winners!
(The project team behind Lawson House receive their 2024 preservation award. Credit: David T. Kindler)
Event Photos
Reinvestment Loan Recipient Bandwith breaks ground on adaptive reuse project
BandWith, a nonprofit providing access to the performing arts in Chicago’s underserved communities, broke ground this month on its adaptive reuse of the former Loyal Casket Building in East Garfield Park. Bandwith will transform the historic building at 134 S. California Ave. into a vibrant community performing arts center. Members of the Landmarks Illinois team, including Director of Reinvestment Suzanne Germann, were at the Bandwith groundbreaking ceremony on October 10.
Landmarks Illinois provided a $500,000 loan to Bandwith through the Landmarks Illinois’ Reinvestment Program Loan Fund for the project. BandWith will use Landmarks Illinois’ loan to cover critical project planning costs associated with the restoration and reuse of the former casket factory, including design fees, energy efficiency and operational planning. Once complete, BandWith’s new home will serve as its headquarters and provide space for free youth dance, drumline, sound engineering, instrumental and choral ensemble programs. It will also feature retail and communal spaces for partner organizations to use. BandWith expects to complete the adaptive reuse project in 2025.
Read more about our investment in Bandwith’s preservation project below.
Learn moreUpcoming Events
PRESERVATION SNAPSHOTS: "Al Watts and the Alexander Bros. Blacksmith Shop in Geneva, IL"
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
12-1 P.M.
Al Watts from Preservation Partners of Fox Valley will discuss ongoing preservation efforts for the historic and endangered Alexander Brothers Blacksmith Shop in Geneva.
RegisterMiss our previous Preservation Snapshots Lectures?
In October, we held a presentation with Photographer and writer Sandra Steinbrecher, who shared personal stories from her book, The Salt Shed, which documents the deconstruction, reconstruction and revitalization of Chicago’s historic Morton Salt Warehouse. Watch it here. You can also watch all past lectures on our YouTube channel.
Interested in providing pro bono services to help save Illinois' historic places?
Landmarks Illinois and people across the state rely on the generosity of our knowledgeable and experienced preservation professionals to help save places. Through pro bono services, Landmarks Illinois can help move preservation projects forward. If you and/or your company are interested in donating pro bono services, please fill out our form below. This will allow us to match you with pro bono service opportunities that best match your skills and availability.
(Pictured: Sarah Van Domelen of WJE providing a pro bono condition assessment of the historic Amasa House in Geneva.)
Pro Bono Expression of Interest
Evanston selects reuse proposal for Harley Clark Mansion
The historic Harley Clarke Mansion in Evanston is on its way to being restored and reused. At a meeting earlier this month, the Evanston City Council unanimously approved entering lease negotiations with Celadon. The developer plans to adaptively reuse the once-endangered lakefront property as an event space and hotel featuring a restaurant and other retail stores.
Landmarks Illinois has been advocating alongside local residents for nearly a decade to save and repurpose this iconic building. We included it on our Most Endangered list in 2016 and have worked closely with city officials to help guide the Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Celadon’s proposal will maintain public ownership, enable a sustainable reuse of the property and continue the Jens Jensen Gardens’ stewardship of the beautiful landscape surrounding the mansion.
We are excited to see this treasured Evanston landmark on a path to preservation after sitting vacant for nearly a decade.
Read more
Welcoming a new staff member
Kenna Hogan
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT
Kenna Hogan has joined the Landmarks Illinois team as its new Development Assistant. In her role, she looks forward to building relationships with the members and donors of Landmarks Illinois that make our mission possible. Read more about Kenna and how to contact her on our staff webpage
Learn more
Landmarks Illinois comments on proposal to streamline Section 106
Earlier this month, Landmarks Illinois responded to a call for comments from the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation on potential alternatives to meet requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act’s Section 106 review process for federally-owned buildings or those that require federal permits or funding. The Advisory Council is currently exploring ways to streamline federal historic preservation review, specifically for projects related to housing, climate-smart buildings and climate-friendly transportation.
In our comments, Landmarks Illinois focused on what we view as positive proposed changes to review requirements that make preservation more accessible. Landmarks Illinois also supports smart changes to the review process that move preservation projects forward, creating spaces communities need and want. While Section 106 review can provide essential opportunities for the public to comment on projects affecting historic places, it can also delay innovative and in-demand preservation projects — sometimes for reasons that do not resonate with the needs of people today. Section 106 can and should balance historic integrity with modern needs to ensure historic places serve the communities that live and experience them — now and in the future.
Click below to read our full letter to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. You can also view comments submitted by other organizations here.
Read LI's letter
Preserving Miles Davis' legacy in East St. Louis
Regional Advocacy Manager Quinn Adamowski visited the House of Miles Museum in East St. Louis on October 30 and met with museum representatives to get an update on their multi-phased restoration project. The museum celebrates jazz legend Miles Davis and is located in his former home. The museum is currently working to create a sound studio.
While in East St. Louis, Quinn also met with Alvin Parks Jr., Community and Economic Development Director, to discuss building vacancies and opportunities for reuse available through the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Historic Tax Credit. Quinn will be back in the community in December to spend the day with City staff to continue these discussions and tour vacant properties.
(Pictured: Lauren Parks, House of Miles Co-founder (front), takes a selfie with Devrick LaGrone, House of Miles Mission Integrated Contracting; Quinn Adamowski, Landmarks Illinois Regional Advocacy Manager; Gary Pearson, House of Miles Co-founder; and Alvin Parks Jr., East St. Louis Community and Economic Development Director.)
More from around the state
Macomb
RANDOLPH HOUSE
Quinn also visited Macomb earlier this week to help facilitate a pro bono condition assessment of the Randolph House, conducted by Gary Anderson of Studio GWA. The assessment will help the city create a reuse plan for the historic former hotel building, which has fallen into disrepair.
Brooklyn
Quinn attended a MAPPING Program session (pictured) with community members and partner organizations in Brooklyn. Created by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, the MAPPING program was designed to provide a strategic visioning and planning process for rural communities to create a long-range vision for the economic development of their community and a plan of action for achieving it. Landmarks Illinois listed Brooklyn on its 2023 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois.
MOST ENDANGERED INTERN NEEDED
Landmarks seeks an intern for our 2025 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. The intern will support Landmarks Illinois’ annual Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois list. Most Endangered lists are a common and valuable historic preservation advocacy tool; this position will allow the intern to develop skills transferable to various preservation organizations. The intern will work closely with Advocacy and Communications staff to prepare for the announcement of the 2025 list in late spring. This is a paid internship.
Learn more & apply
LI staff members gather in New Orleans for annual National Trust preservation conference
A number of the Landmarks Illinois team traveled to New Orleans this week to attend the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual Past Foward preservation conference. This year, the conference focused on three of our nation’s biggest challenges: Creating Climate Resilience Through Historic Preservation, Ensuring a Representative Preservation Movement and Encouraging Historic Preservation-Based Community Development. The conference also marked the 75th anniversary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Staff members who attended were Marketing & Communications Manager Lauren Dalton, Director of Reinvestment Suzanne Germann, Director of Communications Kaitlyn McAvoy, and Advocacy Manager Kendra Parzen. Board Member Jean Follett also attended. In addition, Chief Operating Officer Frank Butterfield attended the National Preservation Partners Network meeting, and President & CEO Bonnie McDonald presented at the “Advancing Preservation Climate Summit” hosted by The 1772 Foundation, a Landmarks Illinois funder. Both of these events were also held in New Orleans this week.
(Pictured left to right: Director of Reinvestment Suzanne Germann, Director of Communications Kaitlyn McAvoy, Board Member Jean Follett, Advocacy Manager Kendra Parzen, Marketing & Communications Manager Lauren Dalton and former Skyline Council Member Rachel Firgens, Portfolio Associate, JP Morgan Chase & Co.)
Presenting at the Massachusetts Historic Preservation Conference
On September 27, Landmarks Illinois’ President and CEO Bonnie McDonald gave the keynote at the Massachusetts Historic Preservation Conference in Worcester on the power of storytelling in preservation. Storytelling is an effective method to make preservation matter to more people, thus preservationists sharpening their storytelling skills should be a priority, as featured in McDonald’s “The Relevancy Guidebook: How We Can Transform the Future of Preservation,” published by Landmarks Illinois in November last year.
LI talks landmarking with '77 Flavors'
Landmarks Illinois teamed up with 77 Flavors of Chicago this month to discuss preservation. 77 Flavors, co-founded and created by Sara Faddah and Dario Durham, is a podcast focused on Chicago history, food and culture in each of the city’s 77 community areas.
Sara and Dario spoke to Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald On October 24 at Chicago’s historic Quinn Chapel AME Church. Bonnie answered questions about historic landmark designation and how preservationists decide which places are significant.
Watch the video
Top social media posts of the month
News of the former Most Endangered site, the Pike House in Beverly, receiving $1.5 million for its restoration, was the most popular post on our Instagram. (Read more on this announcement under “Additional Landmarks Illinois News” below.)
Other top social posts:
Additional Landmarks Illinois news...
- Earlier this month, we shared the news that Highland Park was demolishing the historic Lincoln School, built in 1909. Landmarks Illinois called attention to the closed schools in the northern Chicago suburb in 2016 on our Most Endangered list. At the time, we urged the school board to engage the community in a comprehensive planning process to decide how to make it available for reuse. Sadly, it instead sold the school to a company that decided to tear it down. We have seen numerous examples of successful school reuses in recent years, from West Pullman School in Chicago to the Tiger Senior Apartments in Paris, Illinois, both of which transformed a vacant school into a community asset, winning them Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards.
- The Eugene S. Pike House in Beverly, a 2022 Most Endangered site, will receive $1.5 million from the state to aid preservation efforts at the historic site. The Pike House is a late 19th-century home that was once used as a “Watchman’s Residence” for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. It is located at the southern edge of the Dan Ryan Woods and is part of the National Register-listed Ridge Historic District. For years, however, the house has sat vacant and deteriorating. Landmarks Illinois has worked with local advocacy organizations, Eugene S. Pike House Foundation and Beverly Area Arts Alliance, to find a preservation solution for the home. The goal is to turn the Pike House into a cultural center. The significant investment from the state was announced at a press conference in late September. Read more.
- Landmarks Illinois Advocacy Manager Kendra Parzen gave public statements at the Commission on Chicago Landmarks meeting this month. At the commission’s October 3 meeting, Kendra spoke in support of preliminary landmark designation for the Erie Street Row at 161 E. Erie St. on the city’s Near North Side. The property consists of three historic row houses constructed in the 1870s after the Great Chicago Fire – an enormously significant time for the city. Read Kendra’s full statement here. On October 17, Kendra gave a statement in opposition to the proposed demolition of 2347 S. Michigan Ave., a contributing building to the Motor Row Historic District and the site of the 2003 E2 nightclub tragedy. A developer has proposed building a new housing development at the site that would also memorialize the victims of the nightclub disaster. However, Kendra argued that demolition should not take place until those affected by the tragedy are engaged in an inclusive process as to how they wish to memorialize their loved ones at the site. Read Kendra’s statement here.
- Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald was part of a panel on October 26 during the Design Agendas Public Symposium held at Washington University in St. Louis’ (WashU) Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. Bonnie was joined by WashU Architecture Professor Eric P. Mumford, MWA Architects’ Michael E. Willis and Professor Shantel Blakely of Rice University. She spoke about past and future preservation approaches in cities like St. Louis that can address the legacy of Urban Renewal.
Download the full October 2024 Preservation News Roundup
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