Nine people and organizations that have worked to preserve the city’s history will be honored May 5 by the Elgin Heritage Commission.
Recipients of the annual Mayor’s Awards for Preservation were nominated by their peers in recognition of their “efforts to preserve and promote Elgin’s historic architecture, neighborhoods and cultural resources,” a news release said. They will be honored at a 6 p.m. ceremony on Tuesday, May 5, at The Lodge Performing Arts Center at 18 Villa Court.
Descriptions for the award winners were provided by the heritage commission:
- Benjamin Glunz, for the adaptive reuse of the historic 1960s PNC Bank into apartments and studio space for Judson University graduate architecture students, now known as Glunz Hall, 28 N. Grove Ave.
- Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, for fundraising efforts to restore and display the beloved stained-glass window salvaged from its former church at Fulton and Villa streets, which was razed in 1957.
- Chuck Keysor, for assisting in the historically accurate rehabilitation and reconstruction of the front porch at 140 N. Porter St.
- Elgin Public Museum and James Eby, for installing eight custom-designed display cases installed in front of the 30-inch-high historic railing at the second floor. This thoughtful design provides more exhibit space, does not alter the site lines of the 1904-1907 architecture and provides a safety barrier without alteration of the original oak woodwork.
- Elizabeth Marston, for her 28 years of dedication as the director of the Elgin History Museum and preserving, promoting and enriching residents and visitors of the cultural and architectural history of Elgin. Elizabeth will receive The Mayor George Van de Voorde Outstanding Service Award.
- Jim Turner, for his volunteerism at the Elgin History Museum since 2012 with tours, greeting visitors, answering questions, playing folk music for museum events among countless other museum tasks.
- Legend Partners — Courtyard 40, for the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of 40 DuPage Court, historically the 1893 Spurling Block Building, into a five-story, mixed-use redevelopment. (The company will) receive The William Stickling Award for best adaptive reuse of a commercial building.
- Mary Alice and Michael Benoit, for the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the 1927 Elk’s Lodge into The Lodge Performing Arts Center located at 18 Villa Court.
- Myles M. Godinez, for creating an interactive presentation board for his eighth-grade project that highlights the Elgin National Watch Co. and its impacts on Elgin’s history. The project was named a finalist at the state-level National History Day competition.
In addition, eight homeowners who researched the history and architecture of their properties will receive heritage building plaques at the ceremony. More than 500 plaques have been presented since the program’s inception in 1986.
This year’s plaque recipients are:
- Angela and Kellen Smith, 43 Hamilton Ave.;
- Abby and Jack Trimble, 820 Mill St.;
- Janis and Robert Heidemann, 739 W. Highland Ave.;
- Celeste Sonnier and Stephen Donahue, 844 Bellevue Ave.;
- Dan and Karen Fox, 890 Douglas Ave.;
- Domingo and Guillermina Gonzalez, 117 Monroe St.;
- Jacquelyn and Roger Lauger, 427 DuPage St.;
- Caroline Oswald and Doug Rockar, 223 N. Worth Ave.;
The ceremony is open to the public and free to attend but reservations are required by calling Historic Preservation Planner Christen Sundquist at 847-931-6004. It will also be livestreamed on the City of Elgin’s YouTube channel.
