In response to many queries, I would like to share the following information regarding the temporary closure of the Dana-Thomas House.
The media, not surprisingly, has focused on the $55,000 in savings accrued by closing the Dana-Thomas House for a three-month period. Nearly $2 million has been cut from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency`s budget, cuts from every part of the agency.
Many people have asked if the agency could run the house with volunteers. We are fortunate to have more than 2,000 volunteers across the state who gave 114,000 hours of service last year. However, volunteers are only used to supplement permanent staffing. An all-volunteer staff would put us in conflict with union contracts.
If you wonder why we do not charge admissions at sites, we do not have the legal authority to do so. The IHPA drafted legislation allowing the agency to test admission fees for three years, but the bill did not receive enough support to pass out of committee.
The temporary closure of the Dana-Thomas House is simply the result of a long series of difficult management decisions made during difficult economic times. Closing the house afforded the agency the most savings, with the least layoffs, of any of the historic sites.
