Illinois sites named to national historic register
SPRINGFIELD - More than two dozen Illinois buildings and downtown districts have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Twenty-three buildings and 11 historic districts were added to the register in 2013, according to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
They include everything from a mausoleum in South suburban Beecher and an East. St. Louis hotel to historic districts in Galena and Plainfield and a Chicago furniture factory.
Inclusion on the list means properties are deemed worthy of preservation and makes them eligible for financial incentives.
"(It) really drives home what a wonderful legacy we enjoy in Illinois," said Amy Martin, who is the director of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. "Preserving historic buildings and districts helps communities stay vibrant."
The National Park Service added the sites to the register based on recommendations from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
Thousands of Illinois sites, representing each of the state's 102 counties, are on the register.
Preservationists say saving historic sites is important to communities.