Preservation News Roundup: February 2026

Valentine’s Day event brings attention to historic mural in South Chicago

The Skyline Council of Landmarks held its annual Valentine’s Day event on February 14 at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Vietnam Veterans Memorial Mural in South Chicago. The Skyline Council partnered with the Calumet Area Industrial Commission, American Legion South Deering Post #1238 and 10th Ward Ald. Peter Chico’s office for the event. Community members and local advocates joined in, decorating the historic mural with hearts and valentines to draw attention to the mural, which features portraits of 12 young men from the church parish, along with the names of many other men who sacrificed their lives during the Vietnam War.

After more than 50 years of environmental exposure, the building’s masonry and the mural require maintenance. Latinos in Heritage Conservation named it one of its 2025 Endangered Latinx Landmarks. The American Legion South Deering Post 1238, the Calumet Area Industrial Commission and Ald. Chico aim to raise over $100,000 for the mural restoration. Landmarks Illinois has awarded the Calumet Area Industrial Commission $10,000 through the Timuel D. Black Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side to aid in these efforts.

(Photo credit: Marcellus Marsh)

Event Photos

Landmarks Illinois provides emergency grant funds to the Chicago Loop Synagogue for urgent repairs

Landmarks Illinois has awarded an emergency grant to the Chicago Loop Synagogue through the Preservation Heritage Fund. The $5,000 grant will help the synagogue replace a broken boiler, allowing the congregation to continue providing daily religious services and community cultural programs.

Located at 16 S. Clark St., the Chicago Loop Synagogue was founded in 1929 to provide a space for Jewish professionals working downtown. Its current home was designed by architects Loebl, Schlossman and Bennet and completed in 1958. It is the largest synagogue in the downtown area, and its eye-catching design has made it a popular stop for architecture enthusiasts. Among its notable features is the Abraham Rattner-designed stained glass windows on the front façade.

Representatives from Chicago Loop Synagogue reached out to Landmarks Illinois in January to request emergency funding to fix the boiler. Applications for Preservation Heritage Fund grants are typically reviewed in April and October, but urgent funding needs are assessed year-round.

“Landmarks Illinois’ grant programs aim to be responsive and accessible to the people saving our vulnerable historic places,” said Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald. “We are proud to be able to respond quickly to Chicago Loop Synagogue’s request for monetary assistance for its broken boiler. Like many of our grants, we hope this one will provide the congregation with critical seed funding to raise the money needed to maintain and preserve this iconic and culturally significant Loop landmark.”

(Photo credit: Chicago Loop Synagogue)

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Upcoming Grant Application Deadline: April 1

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR YOUR PRESERVATION PROJECT!

Landmarks Illinois is accepting applications for the next round of funding through our Preservation Heritage Fund and the Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois.

These grant programs provide financial assistance to preserve or protect significant structures and sites in Illinois. Visit our website to learn more about qualifying projects for each grant fund and to submit an application.

(Pictured: R. Harold Zook Home and Studio in Hinsdale, a 2025 Donnelley grant recipient.)

Learn more & apply

Landmarks Illinois partners with grant recipient, Beautiful Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and industry experts to discuss masonry apprenticeship program at historic church

Landmarks Illinois Director of Reinvestment Suzanne Germann was in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood on February 13 to visit Beautiful Zion Missionary Baptist Church, a culturally and historically significant South Side church.

Germann joined Jeff Diqui from the International Masonry Institute and Hector Arellano from the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) to meet with Chiymelle Proby Nunn, Beautiful Zion’s co-chair of Trustees Ministry, to discuss hosting a masonry apprenticeship program at the church.

Originally built in 1923 as West Englewood Masonic Temple, the church at 1406 W. 64th St. has stood as a cornerstone of the Englewood community for more than a century. Designed in the Neoclassic al and Art Deco styles, the church has a striking facade made of limestone. The masonry, however, is in need of restoration to prevent further deterioration.

In February 2025, Landmarks Illinois awarded Beautiful Zion Missionary Baptist Church a $10,000 grant through our Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side to help pay for critical masonry repairs to the building. As repairs are planned, Landmarks Illinois is working with the congregation and partners at IMI and BAC to potentially use the church as a training site for future masons. We will keep you informed on developments with the program.

IMI and BAC are Landmarks Illinois Annual Corporate Sponsors. We are grateful for their continued support and generosity.

(Pictured: Members of Landmarks Illinois, Beautiful Zion, the International Masonry Institute and International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers meet at Beautiful Zion Missionary Baptist Church on Feb. 13 )

Landmarks Illinois celebrates Route 66 Centennial Kick Off in Granite City

Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald and Regional Advocacy Manager Quinn Adamowski joined Gov. JB Pritzker in Granite City on February 9 to celebrate the Route 66 Centennial Kickoff. The press conference launches the year-long festivities in Illinois marking 100 years since the creation of the “Mother Road.”

The governor was joined by representatives from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Route 66 Centennial Commission at the press conference, as well as statewide tourism and community organization partners. In recognition of the centennial, the governor announced that DCEO is awarding nearly $4 million in grant funding to local tourism bureaus to support development, education, preservation and promotion efforts of Route 66 activities throughout Illinois.

To learn more about Route 66 Centennial celebrations in Illinois, visit the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway’s website below.

(Pictured: Members of the Illinois Route 66 Centennial Commission, including Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald, and Gov. Pritzker)

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LANDMARKS ILLINOIS STATEMENT REGARDING WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PUBLIC COMMENT & OTHER EFFORTS TO DISMANTLE AND DEREGULATE FEDERAL PRESERVATION PROGRAMS

President & CEO Bonnie McDonald discusses the upcoming public comment deadline regarding the White House Ballroom while bringing attention to the current threats to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and Section 4(f) of the Federal Highway Transportation Act that could weaken preservation efforts across the country. Read the statement for more details and what you can do to make your voice heard in opposition to these potential damaging changes.

Read the statement

LI President & CEO Presents on Transformational Plan, Relevancy Guidebook in Carbondale

Following up on her October 2025 American Planning Association Illinois Chapter Conference session, “Transforming Preservation’s Future: A New Look at Existing Buildings,” Landmarks Illinois President and CEO Bonnie McDonald was invited to repeat the session at the City of Carbondale Preservation Commission meeting on Feb. 23.

The presentation centered on the ethos behind Landmarks Illinois’ new Transformational Plan, informed by McDonald’s 2023 publication, “The Relevancy Guidebook: How We Can Transform the Future of Preservation,” identifying critical changes that must occur in the preservation field for it to remain relevant and responsive to today’s needs.

Landmarks Illinois’ service to Southern Illinois communities is made possible through the generous support of the E.T. Simonds Foundation and individual members and donors, including Tracy Dillard and Gail White. To support providing our free services in your region, please contact Landmarks Illinois Director of Development Nicole Rakers at nrakers@landmarks.org.

(Pictured: Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald presenting in October 2025 at the American Planning Association Illinois Chapter Conference)

Roger Brown Home & Studio takes critical step toward landmarking

On February 5, the Permit Review Committee of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks approved a proposed conversion of the Roger Brown Home and Studio for residential use, including limited changes to the exterior. Landmarks Illinois Advocacy Manager Kendra Parzen made a statement of support at the meeting.

Landmarks Illinois is hopeful that the current owner, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), will now grant approval for the landmark designation process for the property to move forward for a final recommendation from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks to City Council.

The home and studio, located at 1926 N. Halsted St. and constructed in 1888, once belonged to artist Roger Brown, a leader in the Chicago Imagist movement and member of the LGBTQ+ community. Brown lived there from 1974 to 1995 and donated the property and its contents to SAIC in 1996. In September, SAIC put the property up for sale and marketed it as a potential teardown. That prompted Landmarks Illinois to encourage the Commission on Chicago Landmarks to consider designating the property as a Chicago Landmark, which would prevent demolition. The effort was successful: the commission voted unanimously in favor of preliminary designation at its October 2025 meeting.

Landmarks Illinois learns about Bull Valley's initiative to preserve unique Stickney House

Regional Advocacy Manager Quinn Adamowski was in Bull Valley on February 11 to meet with Village President Emily Berendt and members of the Stickney House Foundation to discuss their joint initiative, Living with the Land, which is a strategic framework designed to identify future reuse of the Stickney House and farmstead into a self-sustaining center for community education, ecotourism and the preservation of Bull Valley’s natural heritage.

The George Stickney House, located at 1904 Cherry Valley Road, was completed in 1865. Stickney originally settled in Nunda Township, also in McHenry County, in 1835 before building the home in Bull Valley. The unique home was inspired by the Spiritualism Movement, popular in the mid-19th Century. George and his wife Sylvia were among the most devout Spiritualists in the area, and the home was designed without square corners to “prevent spirits from being trapped within.” The home was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, and the village and Stickney House Foundation (established 1991) have been working to restore it. Today, it is used as Bull Valley government offices and a police station.

Chicago's Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church receives Preserving Black Churches grant from National Trust

Chicago’s Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church receives Preserving Black Churches grant from National Trust

Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church (MMBC) on Chicago’s West Side is one of 33 historical Black churches across the nation to receive $8.5 million in grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund‘s fourth annual Preserving Black Churches program grant round. The African American Cultural Action Fund is a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

MMBC was built in 1901 and has remained an important community landmark in the Garfield Park neighborhood for the past 125 years, serving as a beacon during the Great Migration and Civil Rights Movement. In 1989, it was designated a Chicago Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. According to the National Trust, the grant funding will be used to prevent structural failure at the church and extend the building’s life through masonry, lintel and roofing repairs and the stabilization of its historic windows. The Chicago Sun-Times reported MMBC’s grant totals $500,000.

Landmarks Illinois Advocacy Associate Amber Delgado has been working with MMBC’s congregation over the past year to support preservation efforts and help secure financial resources. Last July, Landmarks Illinois arranged a pro bono conditions assessment of the church conducted by Bulley & Andrews. Delgado also assisted the congregation in submitting an Adopt-a-Landmark grant application to the City of Chicago, which was unfortunately not awarded. John Cramer, Director at Ramsey Historic Consultants, Inc., and Deborah Lielasus, a preservation consultant, helped MMBC submit the Preserving Black Churches Grant application.

Oak Park set to discuss controversial development at Boulevard Arcade Building in March

The Oak Park Plan Commission delayed a discussion on a 10-story addition to the Boulevard Arcade Building until March. The commission was originally set to discuss at its Feb. 19 meeting, but rescheduled the issue for its March 12 meeting. Boulevard Arcade Building is an architecturally significant local landmark in Oak Park. The proposed high-rise development, which would provide luxury housing, conflicts with the historic integrity of the current structure and is wholly out of sync with Oak Park’s architectural review guidelines. The development was previously denied four times by the Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission. Read our 2025 Year-in-Review for more context on this issue.

2026 Preservation Forward

MARCH 12
Less than two weeks until the event! Grab your tickets now!

Our biggest fundraiser of the year returns at The Old Post Office. Tickets, sponsorships and underwriting opportunities are now available. Visit our website to learn more about the event and our 2026 Landmarks Illinois Influencers and to purchase tickets.

*Raffle tickets are now available, as well!

Learn more & register

Historic Preservation Lecture Series: The Practical Preservationist

MARCH 28

Landmarks Illinois President & CEO Bonnie McDonald will give the Keynote Address at Esta Barrett Manor & Gardens’ Historic Preservation Lecture Series, “The Practical Preservationist,” event on March 28 in Rockford. Bonnie will be speaking about “The Relevancy Guidebook: How We Can Transform the Future of Preservation.” Released in 2022 and based on interviews with 130 experts, the Relevancy Guidebook combines diverse perspectives with practical research to help make historic preservation accessible and meaningful to a broader audience.

The Esta Barrett lecture series explores the historic buildings and landscapes that shape our neighborhoods and enrich our lives. Presenters will share practical insights that show people the potential in restoring our built environment and proving that old structures are worth saving. Landmarks Illinois Board Member and former Chair Gary Anderson of Studio GWA will be a speaker at the April lecture series event.

The lecture series takes place at Veterans Memorial Hall, 211 N. Main St. in Rockford, or on Zoom.

Learn more & register

2026 Congreso

AUGUST 19-21

Landmarks Illinois is proudly serving as the local partner for Latinos in Heritage Conservation’s upcoming summit in Chicago. Congreso Leadership Summit is a national gathering bringing Latinx leaders, preservation practitioners, artists, scholars and community organizers together. Congreso will take place at the historic Palmer House, centering conversations on heritage, place and leadership under the theme Estamos Aquí (We Are Here). The summit convenes national and Chicago-based voices to examine how Latinx communities shape, protect and sustain cultural landscapes across the United States. LHC Executive Director Sehila Mota Casper penned a recent Letter to the Editor, published in the Chicago Sun-Times, reflecting on Chicago as a living archive: a city built on migration, labor, resistance and reinvention.

Early registration is now available at a discounted rate. Scholarships are also available for local leaders & students! Applications are due April 30.

Learn more & register

Top social media posts of the month

Our posts sharing the news of our emergency grant to the Chicago Loop Synagogue was the most popular across our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn.

In a close second was our post sharing the Cairo Oral History Project. See it here.

On the blog

How Preservation Contributes to the Health of Our Communities

Landmarks Illinois grant recipient, Onyx360, is working to transform the historic Reformation Lutheran Church in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood into a community health center. 

This significant project is one example of how the adaptive reuse of our built environment can have profound impacts on the health and well-being of a community, as Landmarks Illinois Easements and Advocacy Associate Amber Delgado writes in this article. Onyx360’s preservation efforts are about more than just saving bricks and mortar – their work will provide access to quality healthcare in a part of the city that has historically gone without such resources.

Read the blog post