Pike County Historical Society receives grant from Landmarks Illinois for Shastid House

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Landmarks Illinois recently awarded $30,000 in grant funding to preservation projects across the state through its Preservation Heritage Fund and Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois grant programs. One of the grant-funded projects is in Pittsfield.

The Pike County Historical Society was awarded $5,000 to be used to replace the roof on the Shastid House, one of the oldest houses in Pittsfield, constructed in 1838. The Shastid House was visited by Abraham Lincoln and today is part of the federally designated Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area.

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.

Landmarks Illinois grants are given on a matching basis, requiring the recipient to raise funds equal or greater to the Landmarks Illinois grant amount. Often, these small grants help spark community engagement around the preservation of a place and help boost local fundraising efforts for the preservation project.

Grant applications for the next round of funding through the Preservation Heritage Fund and Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois grant programs are due Oct. 1.

Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based historic preservation nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting the places people across Illinois value. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org.