Quinn reopens historic sites closed by Blagojevich

SPRINGFIELD - Eleven state historic sites shuttered by former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich due to budget cuts were reopened Wednesday by Gov. Pat Quinn.

Standing under the magnificent tan brick archway at the entrance to the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Dana-Thomas House in Springfield, Quinn declared, "This door is open."

"This particular house is the best example of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie architecture anywhere, anywhere. So we want to invite the world to come and see it and enjoy it and learn from it," Quinn said.

Earlier this month the General Assembly approved a $1.6 million spending plan to reopen the historic sites and rehire 33 state workers laid off when Blagojevich shut them down. Most sites will now be open five days a week.

"We do believe in our history. We cannot forget our history. In many cases, history is prologue to the future. Learning about history and seeing special places and special things is part of being a human being on planet Earth and especially here in the Land of Lincoln," Quinn said.

The outcry over the closure of the Dana-Thomas House was particularly vehement. The 1902 commission was Wright's largest to that point in his career and is one of the most intact of Wright's early homes. The state of Illinois bought the house and its Wright-designed furnishings for $1 million in 1981.

"The world comes to see this kind of a building. To close it is a crime against humanity in a certain way," said Don Hallmark, site supervisor at the house.

State parks and historic sites have a $790 million annual economic impact and support 8,500 jobs in Illinois, said Marc Miller, the director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. That department recently absorbed the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which manages state historic sites.

"People are going to be looking for opportunities close to home to engage in activities and both the historic sites and our natural areas are wonderful opportunities to provide that to our families and to provide a way for them to relax and enjoy this great state," Miller said.