Preservation and Conservation Association

06/02/2026

What a great turn out for the 2026 Mid-Century Modern Tours! Thank you to all who came out and to the sponsors of this year's event - Champaign County History Museum, Good House Keep, Needful Things, Illinois Architecture, Furniture Lounge, Tori Beach Videography and The Michael Hogue Team at RE/MAX

We hope to see you all again next year!

05/31/2026

Sad news in Homer.

05/31/2026

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05/31/2026

The bowling alley was removed in 1945, has there really been no bowling in Homer since that time?
Is Lost Grove still an active cemetery? What prompted the Isley family to donate the land?
Thanks as always to the hard working Homer Historical Society.

05/30/2026

May 30, Decoration Day.
Please read about the incorporation of Ogden. The road racers could not imagine how many would now ride from C-U to the Sidney Dairy Barn.

05/29/2026

Rockford! Geez, as if there isn’t open space in Rockford.

From the May News Roundup https://ow.ly/NwtB50Z6isr

On Tuesday morning, May 26, to the surprise of local advocates, a demolition crew arrived at the Briggs Mansion in Rockford and tore the building down. The Rockford Register Star called it a "sad day for Rockford."

UW Health applied for a demolition permit, which the City of Rockford granted despite pushback from local residents. Landmarks Illinois had been working with preservation advocates in Rockford to prevent the demolition. This included Regional Advocacy Manager Quinn Adamowski, Board Chair Ron Clewer and Board Member Gary Anderson supporting an effort to landmark the property.

The Briggs Mansion, a Civil War-era house located at 1244 E. State St., was believed to have ties to the Underground Railroad. It was found to be structurally sound and was rehabilitated between 2005 and 2010. UW Health, which purchased the property to expand its campus, has not shared specific plans for the property. The hospital is also still waiting for the State of Illinois to issue permits for the project that spans multiple parcels of land.

Read more:https://ow.ly/uXu850Z5MbK

Photo Credit: Ken DeCoster

05/29/2026

The Wine Walk was a great event! We had oodles of drinking walkers or walking sippers come to the warehouse!! We poured a lovely, light and fruity pinot from Oregon. We also offered bottled water in an icy tub. Folks repeatedly told us we were the only ones with water. You are welcome!!
We will do that again next year!
There were some businesses not on the Wine Walk this year who were missed by the patrons.

Sip, stroll and shop your way through downtown at the third annual Downtown Champaign Wine Walk, presented by Royse + Brinkmeyer Apartments.

05/29/2026

Please enjoy today’s offering from our friends at the Homer Historical Society.

05/29/2026

A warm day for salvaging in Urbana. 15 light French doors, 2 mantels, breath-taking Arts&Crafts tile, the note on the back of the fireplace, and many built-in cabinets, the half-round window and two 1/4 round windows.
Remember, we are grateful for generous donations, and work very hard to extract elements ahead of demolition. This work honors the history of the building and makes possible some amazing reuse.

05/29/2026

The next phase of the downtown plaza project will begin soon.with work on Washington Street and access to the parking lot on Fremont Street by way of the new corridor directly south of the Orpheum.
The parkway and trees will be removed in front of the warehouse. A brick strip will edge the sidewalk, a shallow trough with storm grates will lay between the street surface (concrete) and the parking. The parking in front of the warehouse will still be diagonal.
We will keep you updated as construction begins.