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Advocacy and Resources |
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For more than three decades, members of Preservation Partners have been vital supporters of our fundamental mission: ensuring that our vintage buildings, our heirloom neighborhoods, and our streetscapes with splendid architectural diversity are recognized for their economic and historic significance. Furthermore, these members have provided essential support for our museum and site operations, enabling us to reach over 100,000 school children at our historic museum sites, providing a very tangible, unforgettable connection to their roots.
Join us in Saving History- Download a membership form
*Note- Membership contributions above $35 are tax-deductible*
Ready to refresh your commitment to history?
Renew your membership
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Why Join Us?
Membership Benefits Include :
- Quarterly Newsletter, The Preservation Advocate
- Old House Support Group
- Exclusive, members-only programs, events, and private tours
- Invitations to special museum and site events, including Japanese Garden concerts, Summer & Fall Frolics, Apple Fest, Winter Walks, Candle-Light Open Houses, Treasures of the Tri-Cities, and our annual Star Dinner
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*Please send membership forms to P.O. Box 903, St. Charles, IL 60174
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Viking Ship Print
$10.00 * 11" x 17" unframed *
Sales to benefit Viking Ship- Call 630.377.6424 or email info@ppfv.org to purchase
Designed by Bill Huber for Preservation Partners
Printing by Print Perfect, Batavia |
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For additional preservation references, we recommend the following sites:
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Together, we can safeguard our Fox Valley heritage! |
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has a blog in which Christina Morris posted an update about the Partners in Preservation grant award results. To see the review click here |
The Viking Ship at the 1893 Columbian Exposition |
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P.P.F.V. Recieves Driehaus Award for Advocacy |
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October, 2009- Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley has received a Driehaus Award for Advocacy from Landmarks Illinois and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Their efforts to stabilize and preserve the Viking ship at Good Templar Park were among nine projects recognized for historic preservation excellence. By honoring leaders in conservation, Landmarks Illinois aims to preserve, protect and promote historic resources throughout the state, as well as inspire action amid the community. As stated by the Award’s Jury, “without the work of the Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley, the fate of this rare and invaluable historic resource would still be in jeopardy.”
The Award, a model of Chicago’s former Stock Exchange, complete with functional miniature clock, was presented at the Chicago Club. In response to the honor, Liz Safanda, Executive Director of P.P.F.V. stated, “This remarkable process began in 1996 when Geneva’s Hanson family came to the Viking ship’s rescue, organizing the journey to Good Templar Park where they envisioned a short-term shelter. 14 years later, Landmarks Illinois placed the craft on its annual Endangered Structures list thus, reinvigorating conservation efforts and Friends of the Viking Ship’s public awareness campaign. At this point, Preservation Partners mobilized passionate supporters to raise money, pursue grants, and implement critical stabilization. We are proud to be the umbrella under which this diverse and dedicated group of advocates took responsibility for this maritime treasure’s fate”.
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P.P.F.V. and Friends of the Viking Ship Representatives at the Driehaus Awards on October 3rd |
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A gift from Norway, the Viking ship replica sailed across the Atlantic and served as a major attraction the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The Ship, in dire need of preservation after more than a Century of neglect, was relocated to Good Templar Park during the 1990s. In the winter of 2006-07, the Viking Ship was named to both the Fox Valley and Landmarks Illinois’ statewide list of endangered historic resources. Shortly thereafter, the ship was selected as one of 25 candidates to compete in the Chicagoland Partners in Preservation Grant challenge, co-sponsored by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Following a four-week online voting process, bolstered by P.P.F.V. and Friends of the Viking Ship, the vessel finished in 2nd place. The ensuing Viking Ship Stabilization Effort was awarded 100% of the requested $52,000, which has been used to rebuild the structural support system, repair cracks, provide a secure shelter, and construct a viewing platform. |
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The National Trust's Chris Morris and PPFV's Executive Director Liz Safanda examining the Viking Ship |
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Advocacy |
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A Dedicated History...
Viking Ship Project
The Viking Ship Stabilization Project offically began on Monday, June 16th, when the 21st Century "Crew" of marine conservators arrived at Good Templar Park armed with their tools and an infectious enthusiam! The team consisted of Bob Fink (and his trusty canine assistant) from Renaissance Yachts in Maryland. Three staff members from Chicago's own Methods and Materials completed the expert crew. The weather was perfect for the first full week on site. The four specialists moved quickly to place structural supports on both the exterior and interior of the ship... The rest is now, as they say, history.
Students on the new Viewing Platform
1893 Viking Ship Wins Grant!
One of 14 recipients
The corporate giant American Express teamed up with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to offer a splendid opportunity for 25 cultural landmarks in the Chicago metro area in 2007. This civic-minded team named their joint enterprise Partners in Preservation (PIP) when they debuted this program in San Francisco in the fall of 2006.
The Viking Ship located in Good Templar Park in Geneva made the short list of 25 candidates eligible for grants in 2007. Grant recipients were announced on November 13th, 2007. The Viking Ship, which came in tied for second in the public voting, received the full amount requested!
The Viking Ship was built in Norway in 1892, an exact replica of the c. 880 Gokstad Viking ship, and undertook a perilous journey across the north Atlantic, making its way through the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes to arrive in Chicago for the 1893 Columbian Exposition. It was a major attraction at the World’s Fair, partly because of its amazing journey and in part because it was a remarkable emblem of the sailing skills and technology of early Vikings. After spending seven decades in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, where it was largely ignored, the Viking headed to West Chicago for an overhaul in 1992 and ended up at Good Templar Park two years later.
A committee of local and Chicago-area citizens has banded together to launch a rescue mission for the Ship, to stabilize the structure and to preserve it in a museum setting for future generations. In the short term, a substantial contribution from the Kane County Community Development Block Grant funds was used to hire a marine conservator to complete a professional evaluation of the condition of the ship. Preservation Partners and the Norwegian National League are also helped to finance this survey, which resulted in a detailed recommendation for the stabilization phase of the rescue project- underwritten by the PIP grant!
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Japanese Garden Docents Honored
P.P.F.V. commenced a year of celebrations marking the Fabyan Japanese Garden’s 100th birthday by recognizing five remarkable volunteers at the 17th-Annual Preservation Awards. In grateful recognition of their countless hours spent volunteering and perpetual cheer honors were imparted to Darlene Larson, Julie Long, Diana Arntzen, and Essan and Ayumi Soobratty. By profoundly enriching the understanding and appreciation of this botanical treasure, the honorees’ tireless devotion to the Japanese Garden has made them an integral part of the community.
Photo courtesy of GateHouse Media Suburban Newspapers
PPFV Receives IMLS Bookshelf Grant
Our treasured objects and artifacts will be preserved for future generations with help from the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS has now awarded almost 3,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf, in cooperation with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).
“The utmost priority of Preservation Partners is to communicate and conserve our community’s heritage; ensuring that its diversity is both recognized and celebrated. Operation of historic sites and the artifacts contained therein makes conservation essential to our organization. The IMLS Bookshelf Grant will assist PPFV in the display, maintenance, and interpretation of our diverse collections.”
“When IMLS launched this initiative to improve the dire state of our nation’s collections, we understood that the materials gathered for the Bookshelf would serve as important tools for museums, libraries, and archives nationwide,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of IMLS. “We were both pleased and encouraged by the overwhelming interest of institutions prepared to answer the call to action, and we know that with their dedication, artifacts from our shared history will be preserved for future generations.”
Preservation Partners will receive this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for the care of its collections. The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries' special collections. It addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues.
The IMLS Bookshelf is a crucial component of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a conservation initiative that the Institute launched in 2006. IMLS began the initiative in response to a 2005 study it released in partnership with Heritage Preservation, A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America’s Collections. The multi-faceted, multi-year initiative shines a nationwide spotlight on the needs of America’s collections, especially those held by smaller institutions, which often lack the human and financial resources necessary to adequately care for their collections.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov |
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Resources |
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Preservation Resources Library
Located at our Beith House Headquarters in St. Charles, this library houses a large selection of books, professional journals and articles on a variety of preservation issues, including decorative arts, American architecture, restoration of vintage buildings, design guidelines, antique furniture, and period gardens. Members of Preservation Partners may borrow these materials, while the general public is welcome to browse during regular Beith House hours 9-3, Monday through Friday. Appointments are recommended. Contact (630) 377-6424 or email info@ppfv.org
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Architectural Walking Tours
Each spring and fall, expert guides offer walking tours in older Geneva neighborhoods, primarily in the designated Historic Districts. These walks are open to the public at no charge.
Fix-It Guide: Preservation Services & Suppliers
Co-sponsored by the Kane County Historic Preservation Commission and PPFV, this pocket guide to preservation
resources was issued in 1992 and 1995; it is currently out-of-print but plans are underway to update this Guide and offer it on-line. To see an updated draft of the Fix-It Guide, click on the vendors working copy. For more references, visit www.Landmarks.org
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Founded in 1991, this informal group was designed to assist owners of historic buildings to meet a variety of renovation challenges. Annual programs on practical topics are held at area libraries and are open to the public at no charge. Members of Preservation Partners are invited 2-3 times a year to house tours which showcase recently completed renovations.
Preservation Partners offers annual programs at local libraries and community centers on a variety of topics related to preservation, restoration, and museum features. Those offered most recently have focused on vintage coture clothing, Japanese Gardens in four seasons, historic landscaping, and the teardown-infill trend. Programs are open to the general public at no charge. To be placed on our mailing list, contact 630.377.6424 or email info@ppfv.org
Preservation Issues & Support
The Board of Preservation Partners attends meetings of local historic preservation commissions to follow current issues and to determine which merit additional attention, member involvement, publicity, or follow-up workshops. The Preservation Advocate newsletter is used to highlight these issues and spread awareness within the community. |
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