Illinois To Close Almost Half its Historic Sites
By Margaret Foster | Online Only | Sept. 9, 2008
Frank Lloyd Wright designed this Springfield, Ill., house in 1902. It will close to the public on Oct. 1, 2008.
Credit: Copyright © 2008 Dana-Thomas House Foundation
UPDATE: The state will reopen 14 sites on Apr. 23, 2009.
Because of a budget crisis in Illinois, two dozen of the state's 60-plus historic sites will close this fall.
"It's not permanent; it's for the duration of fiscal year 2009, which ends on June 30," says Dave Blanchette, spokesman for the state's historic preservation office. "Hopefully the legislature will correct the funding problem which caused this in the first place."
Meanwhile, on Oct. 1, 13 historic sites will be shuttered, and a month later, 11 state parks will close.
"Our office is hearing from travelers who arrive at the doorstep of Illinois historic sites only to find signs stating 'Closed due to budget cuts,'" Jim Peters, president and chief executive officer of Landmarks Illinois, said in a statement. "Many of these sites already suffer from deferred maintenance. With no staff to care for them, or a capital budget for support, these sites will slowly begin to crumble."
What You Can Do
The National Trust's Midwest Office and Landmarks Illiniois are encouraging residents to contact elected officials and sign a petition calling for the reopening of the historic sites. Read more here
Many preservationists have specifically criticized the governor's decision to close the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield, a Frank Lloyd Wright residence that attracts 41,000 visitors each year.
"There are very few Wright buildings that that are open to the public in the state of Illinois, so this is taking one of them out of the mix," says Ron Scherubel, executive director of the Chicago-based Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy. "Tourism to Frank Lloyd Wright properties is a big draw. We're concerned that it takes away considerably from the tourism industry in Illinois."
Closing down a house that the state bought in 1981 and restored in 1990 is "a travesty, one that deprives the taxpayers of Illinois a chance to visit a historic site that they spent millions to buy and restore," Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin wrote in his Aug. 28 column. "Ah, the bone-headed inconsistency of our state leaders!"
Meanwhile, state legislators will meet this week to discuss the situation. "We're hoping that enough public outcry will result in a reversal of this decision," says Regina Albanese, executive director of the Dana-Thomas House Foundation.
Other historic sites scheduled to close on Oct. 1 are seeking donations. "We are trying desperately to find ways to stay open and are looking for private sources of money," says Marcia Young, site manager at the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington, Ill. "We're just hoping for the best."
Says Blanchette of the state historic preservation office: "We're getting a lot of public feedback. People are arguing that historic sites actually generate revenue through tourism. Unfortunately that doesn't help our current situation."
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Comments
Submitted by camkes at: September 12, 2008
UNBELIEVEABLE..........a true FLW treasure! We have been there twice and it is a joy to visit..........Shame on Illinois.
Submitted by skipster at: September 11, 2008
They're also closing the state-run buildings at Bishop Hill, the Swedish utiopian settlement. That tiny town is complely reliant on tourism. And without those buildings open, the main reason to drive out there is gone.
Submitted by Anonymous at: September 10, 2008
My God! Are they mad? That will have a direct economic impact in the negative. A state where the architectural "Revolution on the Prarie" took place after the Great Fire of Chicago is shuttering a Frank Lloyd Wright house due to budget cuts? "Father forgive them for they know not what they do!" Robert Daniel, Goldsboro,NC