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The Preservation Services Division of the Illinois Historic Preservation
Agency is home to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for Illinois.
Each state and territory has a SHPO, an office authorized by the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The SHPO is charged with administering
federal and state preservation programs and laws, including: overseeing
the nomination of sites to the National Register of Historic Places; conducting
surveys of historic and archaeological resources; reviewing federal and
state undertakings (such as road projects) for their impact on cultural
resources; working with local governments in developing local historic
preservation programs in preparation for designation as Certified Local
Governments; administering rehabilitation tax incentives for qualified
historic buildings; providing Main Street design services; and providing
education, training, and technical assistance to the public in historic
preservation matters.
It is reasonable to ask, "Why preserve?" when faced with the decision
of what to do with an older property. The thought of starting fresh when
faced with the problems of an older home or building is attractive in
our modern society. The downside of this tendency, however, is that we
lose part of our history every time we raze an old building. Without the
old structures, cities take on a different character; neighborhoods lose
their identity; we more easily forget those who went before us. Each time
an old building is torn down, one of our cultural roots let go.
When we preserve and restore our historic resources-buildings,
sites, structures, objects, and landscapes-we gain a lot:
We maintain our community's appearance and character, which
gives it an identity and a personality all its own.
We give our children a glimpse of the architecture of their
forefathers and mothers.
We save the artistic workmanship so evident in older structures.
We "recycle" structures into other uses: how many other
purposes can you think of for old train stations?
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Preservation Services Links
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