Community Corner
Will County honored for surveying County's rural structures
JOLIET – The Will County Land Use Department Historic Preservation Commission has been awarded an honorable mention in the 2014 National Alliance of Preservation Commission’s Excellence Awards program in a “best practices” category.
The NAPC Excellence Awards recognize the outstanding efforts of local preservation, historic district and landmark commissions and boards of architectural review. The program highlights best practices and accomplishments by historic preservation commissions at the local level, for both large and small communities, to protect historic districts and landmarks through legislation, education and advocacy.
The NAPC award program is the only national awards program specific to the work of local preservation commissions.
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Will County was recognized in the category of “Best Practices: Identification/Registration” for its efforts in surveying the County’s rural structures. To date, the project has surveyed 18 of the 24 townships with more than 6,500 structures identified. The remaining six townships will be surveyed as funding becomes available.
The survey provides comprehensive information on all historic rural structures in the project area, inventories existing structures for future study, and assesses eligibility of resources for the National Register and local designation.
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Among other things, the survey has been used as a tool for review of landmark nomination and demolition permits and has served as a resource for local history research.
The Will County HPC will be recognized during a ceremony at NAPC’s biennial FORUM conference on July 19 in Philadelphia, Penn. FORUM 2014 will bring together more than 500 preservation professionals and commission members from 44 states for a week of training, education and networking.
FORUM is held in different cities every two years and is the only national conference dedicated to the important work of volunteer commission members in locally designated historic districts.
Originally based in Washington, D.C., NAPC is now housed at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. For more information, visit http://napc.uga.edu/.
The Will County Land Use Department is led by Curt Paddock and is under Will County Executive Larry Walsh’s office.
