The Elgin Heritage Commission will honor outstanding contributors to Elgin's heritage at the prestigious Mayor’s Awards in The Centre of Elgin’s Heritage Ballroom, Thursday, May 3 beginning at 6:00 p.m. The ceremony will follow at 7:00 p.m.
Elgin Mayor Ed Schock will present 11 individuals and organizations with Preservation awards this year. Winners have all demonstrated a dedication to older architecture, neighborhoods and history. Three awards are honors of distinction: The Mayor George van De Voorde Award, The William Stickling Award and The Artisan Award.
The Mayor George van De Voorde Award will be presented to Mary Hill for promoting Elgin's heritage through her research and tours of Elgin, and her stewardship with the Elgin Area Historical Society. This award is presented to an individual who demonstrates continuing vigor, imagination, and persistence in preserving Elgin's heritage. The individual is recognized for work that is broad in scope, covers many areas, is performed over a long period of time, and goes above and beyond what others have done. Hill has volunteered with the Elgin Heritage Commission, the Elgin Area Historical Society, and the Downtown Neighborhood Association.
The William Stickling Award will be presented to the Community Crisis Center for the adaptive reuse of the Old Franklin School for their offices. Projects that demonstrate the adaptive reuse of industrial, commercial or institutional buildings are recognized. The Heritage Commission established the award in 1998 in honor of the late William Stickling, who owned and restored Elgin’s Tower and Professional Buildings.
The Artisan Award recognizes the exemplary work of a contractor, craftsperson or artisan in the preservation and restoration of Elgin’s architectural heritage. This year, the award will be presented to John and Holly Wiedmeyer of Quality Painting and Carpentry for restoration of various properties in Elgin's historic districts.
Mayor’s Awards for Preservation will also be presented to:
1. Charles Keysor for removing a historically inappropriate porch and replacing it with one that was historically accurate.
2. Toll Brothers for donating $73,000.00 in financial and in-kind assistance to restore St. Joseph's Church rectory building.
3. Fran Alft for volunteering at the Elgin Area Historical Society since 1991, and working at the museum for the last 16 years.
4. Siegle Family Foundation & Elgin Area Historical Society for sponsoring and creating the exhibit on the Jewish experience.
5. Lucy Elliot for planning and implementing the annual Youth History Fair.
6. Downtown Neighborhood Association for Promoting the historic architecture of the center city area through various programs including the treasure hunt of downtown buildings.
7. Patricia Maynard, Carole Seid, Gerald Sorensen, Donald Souder and Brian Anderson for Nominating the D.C. Cook/Lovell Area Historic District.
8. Elgin Leadership Academy Class of 2005-2006 for producing the coloring book “Exploring Elgin.”
Four Heritage plaques will also be presented to Elgin homeowners who have researched the history and architecture of their older homes this year. To date over 370 plaques have been presented since 1985. This year’s recipients are:
1. Larry & Sandy Wegman – 38 River Bluff Road
2. Maureen Meyer – 369 North Commonwealth Avenue
3. Chris and Karen Bach – 419 DuPage Street
4. Carole & John Seid – 834 Brook Street
The Elgin Heritage Commission is a citizen’s advisory board that promotes Elgin’s historic preservation activity through the protection, maintenance and preservation of the City’s architecture, historic and cultural resources. The Elgin Heritage Commission is composed of nine voting members appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the Elgin City Council. For more information about the Mayor’s Awards or to RSVP, please call (847) 931-5910.