October 2026 Preservation News Roundup

Landmarks Illinois acquires Illinois Main Street

Landmarks Illinois has acquired Illinois Main Street (IMS), a robust community development network focused on commercial corridors, downtown districts and small business economic development, from its partners at Main Street America. The mutually agreed-upon acquisition brings together two statewide organizations with decades of experience helping Illinois communities preserve historic places, strengthen local economies and build thriving downtowns.

Through its acquisition, Landmarks Illinois will administer existing IMS operations and programming to continue serving its broad network of members and community organizations.

“Historic downtowns are often the heart of a community, and the Main Street approach has demonstrated for decades that preservation and economic development go hand in hand,” said Frank Butterfield, Landmarks Illinois President & CEO. “Landmarks Illinois’ acquisition of the Illinois Main Street Program will allow us to share expertise, networks and resources as we leverage historic assets for community and economic development. With this step, Landmarks Illinois will grow its partnership with local leaders, businesses and residents to ensure they have the tools to enhance historic commercial districts throughout Illinois.”

Following the acquisition, Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Frank Butterfield and Director of Public Affairs Quinn Adamowski joined Illinois Main Street Interim Director Joi Cuartero Austin in Champaign to receive the 2026 AIA Illinois President’s Award at the AIA Illinois’ 2026 conference and Honor Awards on October 22 (pictured above). The award recognizes Illinois Main Street’s work revitalizing downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

(Pictured: Frank Butterfield and Quinn Adamowski of Landmarks Illinois with Illinois Main Street Interim Director Joi Cuartero Austin at the AIA Illinois’ 2026 conference and Honor Awards October 22.)

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Join us at the Illinois Main Street Conference next month

Economic development professionals, elected officials, municipal staff, planners, tourism leaders, developers and community advocates from across Illinois will gather in Springfield Nov. 18-20 for the 2026 Illinois Main Street Conference.

Frank Butterfield, President and CEO of Landmarks Illinois, will deliver the opening keynote on Thursday, Nov. 19, highlighting the opportunities ahead as preservation, community development and economic development come together in new ways. Conference sessions will address topics including vacant and underutilized properties, small business support, downtown design, housing, tourism, placemaking, storytelling, partnerships and moving projects from vision to implementation. Attendees can also take part in six complimentary Springfield tours, including at the Illinois State Capitol, Dana-Thomas House, Lincoln Home, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Governor’s Mansion and the Illinois Route 66 Experience.

Register

Illinois Main Street Manager needed

Landmarks Illinois seeks a collaborative, relationship-driven professional with a passion for community and economic development to serve as Illinois Main Street Manager. This position leads the day-to-day work of Illinois Main Street, supporting communities across the state and connecting local Main Street leaders with the expertise, resources, partnerships and peer networks they need to build vibrant and resilient downtowns.

Learn more & apply

Landmarks Illinois has a new President & CEO

Frank Butterfield has been appointed as Landmarks Illinois President & Chief Executive Officer. Butterfield, who previously served as Chief Operating Officer and stepped in as interim President & CEO in July, officially assumes this role following his extensive track record of executive leadership and operational excellence.

“Frank’s deep-rooted commitment to our mission, along with his proven operational leadership and passion for historic preservation, makes him the ideal leader to guide Landmarks Illinois into its next chapter,” said Ron Clewer, Landmarks Illinois Board Chair. “Over his many years with the organization, Frank has demonstrated a profound understanding of how historic preservation strengthens local communities, fosters equity and drives reinvestment across Illinois.”

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LI grant recipient Revolution Workshop restores historic Pullman rowhouse

After years of restoration, Revolution Workshop’s historic Pullman rowhouse is complete. In 2024, Landmarks Illinois awarded a $10,000 grant through the Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side to Revolution Workshop to support the rehabilitation of a long-vacant rowhouse at 10730 S. Langley Ave. The home is located in Pullman National Historical Park and is part of the National Register-listed Pullman Historic District and the City of Chicago Historic Pullman District.

Revolution Workshop provides construction job training to people from under-resourced Chicago communities. Landmarks Illinois staff had the opportunity to visit the finished Pullman home this month, meet the crew and see firsthand how this project has created opportunities for Revolution Workshop graduates to earn, learn and build their skills while restoring an important piece of Chicago history.

Landmarks Illinois calls on Congress to reject destruction of Section 106

Recently proposed federal legislation aims to gut Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, stripping away vital safeguards that have protected our cultural and historic places for six decades.

The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (S.5653) would leave many places people care about defenseless against destruction. Since 1966, Section 106 has ensured historic places are thoughtfully considered in consultation with the public before federally owned, funded or permitted projects move forward. It has protected significant Illinois sites like the Springfield Race Riot Site (pictured above), the Red Line in Chicago and the town of Fort Sheridan. If enacted, this bill would almost eliminate public and local community oversight, narrow the definition of protected sites, remove independent agency reviews and restrict legal accountability.

Landmarks Illinois demands Congress fully reject this legislation. Help us! Contact your U.S. Representative & Senator today.

Take Action

And, check out our op-ed, coauthored by Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Frank Butterfield and Chicago Architecture Center CEO & President Eleanor Esser Gorski, published in Crain’s Chicago Business, “Opinion: Proposed Triumphal Arch is a warning shot for all America’s landmarks.”

(Pictured: Section 106 has protected significant Illinois sites like the Springfield Race Riot Site pictured above. Credit: Fever River Research)

Read the op-ed

$25,000 in grants support reinvestment on Chicago’s South Side

Landmarks Illinois has awarded $25,000 through the Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side to support historic preservation in the city’s Bronzeville, Englewood and South Shore communities. The grants were given to:

• Monumental Baptist Church, Bronzeville: $10,000 to pay for necessary architectural and engineering documents that will allow the congregation to move forward with urgent repairs to the 125-year-old Richardsonian Romanesque “central lantern church” that has long served as a culturally significant community anchor.
• Englewood Real Estate Development Corporation, Englewood: $10,000 to make priority repairs to the historic Schlitz Tied House on 69th Street, a designated Chicago Landmark and one of the last remaining tied houses originally constructed by Milwaukee-based Schlitz brewery in Chicago before Prohibition.
• St. Thomas Lutheran Church, South Shore (pictured): $5,000 to install a new electronic bell system in the church’s historic bell tower to attract new members, engage the neighborhood and ensure the long-term preservation of the English Gothic-style building.

Applications for the next round of funding through the Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side are due January 1.

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Upcoming Grant Application Deadline: January 1

Grant funding available!

The Landmarks Illinois Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side provides grants of up to $10,000 each to support people preserving the history, culture and architecture of Chicago’s South Side. Nonprofits and for-profit entities are encouraged to apply.

(Pictured: Grant recipient, Monumental Baptist Church in Bronzeville.)

Learn more & apply

ICYMI: LI receives transformational $300,000 gift from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

In September, we shared the news that Landmarks Illinois had received a $300,000 gift from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in support of our visionary efforts to make preservation more accessible and inclusive. The remarkably generous gift will provide critical funding for Landmarks Illinois’ general operations as it continues its community-driven preservation efforts across the state. It will enable the organization to make substantial progress in advancing preservation as an inclusive tool for economic opportunity, climate resilience, needed housing and neighborhood identity, as outlined in its five-year strategic roadmap, the Transformational Plan.

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Landmarks Illinois celebrates increased accessibility at Museum of Science & Industry

Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Frank Butterfield and Director of Preservation Services Kendra Parzen attended the October 13 groundbreaking for the South Portico renovation at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

The $22 million project will reopen the building’s historic south entrance, which has been closed to museum visitors for more than a century. Built in 1893 as the Palace of Fine Arts for the World’s Fair, the building will once again welcome visitors from its original southern approach. Plans include an accessible entrance, café and terrace overlooking Jackson Park. Construction is expected to be completed by late 2027.

In January 2025, we submitted a letter of support for the rehabilitation plans, commending the accessible entrance design, use of transparent materials to maintain views of the historic exterior wall and distinction between new and historic elements.

(Frank Butterfield and Kendra Parzen of Landmarks Illinois with MSI President and CEO Dr. Chevy Humphrey.)

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Visioning the future of the Lorado Taft Campus

On October 28, Landmarks Illinois Director of Public Affairs Quinn Adamowski facilitated a tour of the historic Lorado Taft Campus in Oregon and a pro bono planning and visioning session led by planning and architecture professionals from Studio GWA. Ogle County, working with local stakeholders, is exploring potential ownership and reuse of the former Northern Illinois University campus. The session provided an opportunity to discuss the site’s potential future uses, feasibility of county stewardship and opportunities for preservation and redevelopment. Landmarks Illinois is helping inform these early conversations and identify ways to preserve the campus while supporting its long-term use as a community asset.

Learn more about the historic campus below:

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Advocating for reuse in Evanston

Landmarks Illinois recently submitted a letter to the Evanston Preservation Commission voicing support of local landmark designation for the 1979 Chase Bank building, which would protect it against demolition. Located at 1900 Central Street in Evanston, the building is an excellent, intact example of Style/Miesian commercial architecture. Chase is proposing demolishing the current structure to build a new one—a move that would be wasteful and unnecessary since the existing building is still functional and adaptable.

“Demolition would result in discarding an existing, in-use building and the significant investment of materials, energy, infrastructure and resources already embodied in it—only to replace those assets with a new building serving the same purpose,” Landmarks Illinois’ letter states.

The Evanston Preservation Commission is expected to discuss the landmark recommendation at its November 18 meeting.

Read our letter

Listen: The Challenges & inequities of the National Register

Landmarks Illinois Director of Public Affairs Quinn Adamowski and Lombard Historical Society Executive Director Alison Costanzo were on RFD Today in September to discuss what it takes today to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The National Register is the official federal list of places deemed worthy of preservation for their historical, architectural, archeological, engineering or cultural significance. While prestigious and highly sought after, the National Register nomination process requires significant time and effort, which can discourage some communities from recognizing their important historical sites.

In the radio segment, Costanzo shares insights into her own process of preparing a nomination for Lombard’s Sheldon Peck Homestead (pictured), a documented stop on the Underground Railroad. Listen to the discussion below.

Listen

Celebrate 75 years of the Edith Farnsworth House

The Edith Farnsworth House was constructed 75 years ago. A recent evening event at the iconic house marked this milestone. It has been 22 years since Landmarks Illinois, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, purchased the home and opened it to the public. Revisit our article, “Reflecting on the ‘Herculean’ preservation effort 20 years ago to save the Edith Farnsworth House,” to learn more about how the Mies van der Rohe-designed Modernist masterpiece became a treasured public landmark.

Read the article

Skyline Council visits Graceland Cemetery

Landmarks Illinois’ young and emerging professionals committee, the Skyline Council, met in October at the historic Graceland Cemetery on Chicago’s North Side. Amanda Marshall chaired the meeting for the Skyline Council in the historic Waiting Room, designed by Holabird and Roche. Following the meeting, Skyline Council member Kat Lewis provided a tour of the historic cemetery. President & CEO Frank Butterfield attended.

Graceland, located near the intersection of Clark Street and Irving Park Road, was established in 1860 and has become known as the “Cemetery of Architects.” It functions as an active burial site, an arboretum and an open-air museum, featuring designs of the late 19th- and early 20th-century. The cemetery has monuments designed by Daniel Chester French, Lorado Taft and architect Louis Sullivan, who is also buried there. Other notable Chicagoans interred at Graceland include Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Marion Mahony Griffin, Daniel Burnham and George Pullman.

Landmarking & protecting Englewood's O'Leary Mansion

Landmarks Illinois is among the many preservation advocates who have spoken out recently about the potential demolition of the historic and architecturally significant O’Leary Mansion in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. In September, we joined our partners at Preservation Chicago to submit a recommendation to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks to consider designating the house, thereby preventing demolition.

The former home of notorious gambling boss James “Big Jim” Oleary was designed by renowned architect Zachary Taylor Davis and constructed at the start of the 20th century. It has long sat vacant, however, and is currently in demolition court.

“The building has a very significant past,” Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Frank Butterfield told Block Club Chicago. “Hopefully it can have a very important and contributing future to the community.”

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Easement monitoring in Oak Park & Fort Sheridan

Landmarks Illinois protects more than 550 historic properties statewide through preservation easements that safeguard significant architectural and historic features for generations.

Above, Landmarks Illinois Easement Committee Member Mark Kuberski joins Dennis Bushby of Omega Signage Company to review an easement commercial property in Oak Park earlier this week. Easement monitors were also in Fort Sheridan this month.

Learn more about Landmarks Illinois easements:

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Preservation symposium in Lake Forest

Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Frank Butterfield participated in a panel discussion at the Lake Forest Preservation Symposium: A National Conversation on Preservation, Architecture & Place. Held October 16-18, the symposium was hosted by the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation and Ragdale and featured national and regional leaders in architecture, preservation, urbanism, design, history and civic life. Butterfield’s panel, titled “Why Preservation Matters: How is Lake Forest Different?” was moderated by former Chicago Tribune Architecture Critic Blair Kamin.

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2026 LANDMARKS ILLINOIS RICHARD H. DRIEHAUS FOUNDATION PRESERVATION AWARDS CEREMONY

NOVEMBER 6

Join us for our annual awards ceremony recognizing exceptional efforts in preserving, restoring and revitalizing historic places in Illinois! The event features a sit-down ceremony and a cocktail reception. Tickets are still available.

Register

CHOOSE A BETTER PLAN FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN NAPERVILLE

NOVEMBER 5

Landmarks Illinois Director of Preservation Services Kendra Parzen will participate in a panel discussion about how historic preservation can enhance Naperville’s development strategy. 

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THE ILLINOIS ROUTE 66 SCENIC BYWAY FIRST ANNUAL MOTHER ROAD CONFERENCE

NOVEMBER 11

This inaugural conference in Springfield will be held on the day Route 66 was officially commissioned in 1926. Guests will learn about the Mother Road’s history and join other Route 66 enthusiasts from across Illinois to celebrate the centennial. Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Frank Butterfield will speak at the event. A concert at Motorheads Bar & Grill also takes place at 6 p.m.

Register

Top social media posts of the month

News that Landmarks Illinois acquired Illinois Main Street was celebrated on LinkedIn, making it our top post of the month. Check out our other top posts:

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