2014 Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Recipients

BISHOP HILL HERITAGE ASSOCIATION: Dairy Building, Bishop Hill

The Bishop Hill Colony was established in 1846, when a group of Swedish religious dissenters came to Illinois to create a utopia free from the dogma of the established church. The Colony is still evident today in the form of 17 historic Colony buildings and 130 residents. Bishop Hill is a state historic site and a National Historic Landmark. At the time of the LI grant, the Bishop Hill Heritage Association was working to restore the 1855 Dairy Building, which since 1985 had been used for storage. Grant funding supported completing the building’s interior brick work on the north side rooms.

ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH FOR REPAIRS: CHICAGO

All Saints Episcopal Church is believed to be the oldest frame church in Chicago. The 1884 Stick style building was designed by John Crombie Cochran with Healey and Millet art glass windows. In an attempt to modernize, in 1905 the building was coated with stucco. At the time of the LI grant, the congregation was in the process of removing the stucco and uncovering the original woodwork. LI’s grant supported wood siding restoration at the North Elevation. This elevation has been chosen to complete first as it is the most highly visible elevation and will hopefully attract attention and additional funds once it is completed.

SOUTH SIDE COMMUNITY ART CENTER: Chicago

The Art Center opened in 1940 as part of the WPA Federal Art Project as the first black art center of its kind in the U.S. The building is currently in need of repairs including the roof, repointing, windows repairs and unusable space in the basement. The condition of the building is jeopardizing the quality of work that the Center is able to provide along with the protection of its historic art collection and archives. LI’s grant funding supported the Center in developing a comprehensive plan.

DEKALB AREA WOMEN’S CENTER: DeKalb

This former Finnish Temperance Hall, built in 1917, was designated a local landmark in 2013. The building now houses the DeKalb Area Women’s Center, which functions as a cultural, arts, educational, resource and service organization. The building has suffered from water infiltration. The organization is working with contractor Roger Keys to resolve these issues. They are seeking funding for Phase I of their project, which includes repairs to the front entry.

GALENA FOUNDATION: Turner Hall, Galena

Constructed in 1874, Galena’s Turner Hall is an architectural hybrid of the original exterior and a classical revival-style interior installed after a fire in 1929. The Hall, owned by the City of Galena since 1938, continues to be used by the community on a rental basis for musical and theatrical performances, dances, private parties and community events. The community has struggled to provide sufficient financial resources to adequately support this important historic structure. A committee was appointed by the Mayor in 2012 to establish the steps that need to be taken to make the building financially self-sustaining. The Galena Foundation was seeking a grant for a Historic Structure Report of the building.

WILL COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY: Historical Society and Research Center Building, Lockport

The Will County Historical Society is located in the former I & M Canal Office building constructed in 1845. The wood clapboard building served as the offices during construction of the canal and later as the offices of the Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Illinois River Waterways. The building was in use until 1971 and currently houses the collections and exhibits of the Historical Society as well as their research center. The wood siding is currently in disrepair and in need of paint. The Historical Society is seeking a grant to repair the wood and repaint the building.

OTTER CREEK HISTORICAL SOCIETY: Hamilton Primary School, Otterville

The Hamilton Primary School in Otterville opened in 1835 as the first free and integrated school in the nation. In 1872 the original school was razed to build a larger two-story school. The present building, erected in 1873 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was built using most of the original building’s limestone. The school closed in 1971 and in 1982, Otter Creek Historical Society, a local non-profit, began operating and maintaining the building. In 2014, the historical society prioritized interior rehabilitation as well as repairs of the roof and was fundraising to be able to complete necessary maintenance work.

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