CHICAGO, June 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Landmarks Illinois has awarded $27,100 in grant funding to seven preservation projects across the state through the Preservation Heritage Fund and the Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois. Grant-funded projects are in the Illinois communities of Chicago, Lemont, Ottawa, Vienna, Warsaw and Wayne.
A total of $22,600 in matching grants has been awarded to five Illinois preservation efforts through the Preservation Heritage Fund in this latest round of grant funding.
- Barakah Muslim Association of Greater Chicago, Chicago – $5,000 to conduct an architectural and engineering assessment at the former Epworth United Methodist Church in preparation for a City of Chicago Adopt-a-Landmark grant.
- Lemont Area Historical Society, Lemont – $5,000 to repair and repaint the steeple at the former Lemont Methodist Episcopal Church. The steeple needs maintenance to prevent further water infiltration into the 1861 building, which today serves as a local history museum.
- Johnson County Revitalization Corporation, Vienna – $5,000 for a comprehensive architectural and engineering assessment of the historic Johnson County Courthouse, listed on the 2024 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois.
- On Point Revival, Warsaw – $5,000 to replace the roof on historic Saenger Hall, a 154-year-old historic community gathering space being rehabilitated by the nonprofit community development organization.
- Wayne Historical Preservation Society, Wayne – $2,600 for the installation of an ADA-required chairlift at the Wayne Depot, a former train depot built in 1884 to service the Chicago and North Western Railroad that is being restored as a community gathering space.
Visit our website to learn more about each grant recipient.
Two grants totaling $4,500 were awarded through the Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois.
- Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago – $1,250 to create promotional materials and provide speaker honorariums for a one-day panel discussion with Black photographers from Chicago on the importance of documenting historic sites across Chicago.
- Ottawa Center for the Arts, Inc, Ottawa – $3,250 for a comprehensive concept design to develop a long-term Master Plan to transform two historic buildings into an accessible arts and community hub.
Visit our website to learn more about these projects.
More about Landmarks Illinois Grants
Landmarks Illinois grants provide critical seed funding to nonprofit organizations and local governments that are restoring culturally and historically significant places in their communities. Often, the funds are used to address priority repairs and/or to stabilize historic sites. Landmarks Illinois grants also serve as catalysts for fundraising for the overall preservation project.
Applications for the Preservation Heritage Fund and Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois are due October 1, 2026. Visit our website to learn more.
About the Preservation Heritage Fund
Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Heritage Fund grants provide monetary assistance to significant structures or sites in Illinois that are under threat of demolition, in imminent deterioration, in need of stabilization, in need of structural or reuse evaluation or need to be evaluated for landmark eligibility. Grants through this fund range from $500 to $5,000, depending on project needs, and are awarded on a matching basis.
About the Donnelley Preservation Fund
The Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois provides monetary assistance to preserve or protect significant structures and sites in Illinois that are under threat of demolition, in imminent deterioration, in need of stabilization, in need of structural or reuse evaluation or in need of evaluation for landmark eligibility. Grants through this fund range from $500 to $2,500, depending on project needs, and are awarded on a matching basis.
About Landmarks Illinois
Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based, historic preservation nonprofit organization founded in 1971. Our mission is to accelerate the preservation and reuse of significant places statewide to foster healthy, livable and thriving communities. Through advocacy, funding, technical expertise and public engagement, we position preservation as an accessible, equitable and effective tool to support strategic, community-driven revitalization. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org.