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| Illinois State Historic Preservation Office | |
|---|---|
| Name | Illinois State Historic Preservation Office |
| Formed | 1976 |
| Jurisdiction | Illinois |
| Headquarters | Springfield, Illinois |
| Parent agency | Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
Illinois State Historic Preservation Office is the state-level agency responsible for identifying, evaluating, and protecting historic properties and cultural resources in Illinois. It administers programs tied to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, coordinates with federal entities such as the National Park Service and state institutions including the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and interacts with municipal bodies like the Chicago Landmarks commission. The office works with preservation partners ranging from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to local historical societies and tribal nations.
The office was established in the wake of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the expansion of state historic preservation programs during the 1970s, paralleling initiatives in states such as New York (state) and California. Early efforts focused on compiling statewide inventories comparable to those produced by the Historic American Buildings Survey and coordinating surveys similar to work by the Historic American Engineering Record. The office has overseen nominations for the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois, including prominent listings like the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the Pullman National Monument, and Frank Lloyd Wright–related sites such as Taliesin-linked properties. Over decades the office adapted to evolving laws including the National Environmental Policy Act and state statutes affecting preservation, engaging with federal programs such as the Tax Reform Act of 1976 historic rehabilitation tax credits and later federal tax incentives.
The office operates as a bureau within the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, staffed by preservation professionals with expertise in architecture, archaeology, and historic architecture. Its functions mirror those of other state historic preservation offices like the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office and the Texas Historical Commission: reviewing federal Section 106 consultations under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 with agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, managing the state historic sites inventory, and advising on compliance with the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979. The office collaborates with municipal preservation commissions in cities like Chicago, Illinois, Springfield, Illinois, and Peoria, Illinois, and consults with tribal governments including the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma and the M’Kláx Tribe on cultural resource matters.
Major initiatives include statewide surveys, heritage tourism partnerships with entities such as Illinois State Museum and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and participation in national campaigns by the National Trust for Historic Preservation like the National Treasure program. The office administers the state aspects of the federal rehabilitation tax credit program and implements preservation easement strategies similar to those used by the Landmarks Illinois and the Chicago Architecture Center. Seasonal and thematic programs have included battlefield studies tied to the Battle of Fort Dearborn legacy and industrial heritage projects documenting sites akin to the Pullman Company complex.
The office evaluates and forwards nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, preparing documentation comparable to forms used by the NPS and coordinating with the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council. Properties nominated have ranged from Frank Lloyd Wright houses and Adler & Sullivan designs in Chicago, Illinois to rural agricultural districts and Civil War–era sites associated with figures like Abraham Lincoln and campaigns such as the Lincoln-Douglas debates. The office also processes nominations for National Historic Landmarks and advises applicants for local landmark status under municipal laws like the Chicago Landmark Ordinance.
The office administers competitive grant programs funded by federal allocations from the NPS and state appropriations from the Illinois General Assembly, and channels funds through programs patterned on grants by the Historic Preservation Fund. Grants support rehabilitation projects eligible under guidance from the Secretary of the Interior and coordinate with tax credit projects leveraging incentives created by the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 and subsequent legislation. Funding recipients have included municipal projects in Springfield, Illinois, nonprofit stewards like Landmarks Illinois, and tribal cultural programs. The office manages programs that align with federal disaster recovery funding administered by agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency when historic properties are affected.
Statewide surveys create inventories that document archaeological sites and historic structures in coordination with institutions like the Illinois State Museum and academic partners at University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and Southern Illinois University. Preservation planning efforts feed into statewide plans similar to those produced by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and municipal preservation plans in cities such as Evanston, Illinois and Rockford, Illinois. The office produces guidelines based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and coordinates multi-jurisdictional studies of historic districts, industrial corridors, and rural cultural landscapes.
Public outreach includes workshops, technical assistance, and publications aimed at stewards ranging from local historical societies to preservation professionals trained at institutions such as Columbia University and University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. The office partners with organizations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Landmarks Illinois, and the Illinois Association of Historical Societies and Museums to offer training on topics including rehabilitation practices, archaeological curation, and preservation law. Educational programs highlight Illinois heritage tied to figures like Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, movements such as the Chicago architectural renaissance, and sites promoted through heritage tourism networks including the Route 66 corridor.
Category:Historic preservation in Illinois Category:State agencies of Illinois