The Elgin Heritage Commission will honor individuals and organizations for their work in preserving the city’s history at the Mayor’s Awards for Preservation ceremony, scheduled for May 5 at The Lodge Performing Arts Center. The event, which begins at 6 p.m., will be open to the public with limited seating and will also be livestreamed on the City of Elgin’s YouTube channel.
The awards highlight community efforts to protect and promote Elgin’s historic architecture, neighborhoods, and cultural resources. Each year, recipients are selected from peer nominations based on their contributions to historic preservation.
This year’s nine honorees include Benjamin Glunz for converting a former PNC Bank into apartments and studio space now known as Glunz Hall; Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church for restoring a stained-glass window salvaged from its previous building; Chuck Keysor for porch restoration work; Elgin Public Museum and James Eby for new display cases that preserve original architecture while improving exhibit space; Elizabeth Marston, who will receive The Mayor George Van de Voorde Outstanding Service Award after nearly three decades leading the Elgin History Museum; Jim Turner for volunteer service at the museum; Legend Partners – Courtyard 40 for adaptive reuse of a historic building into mixed-use redevelopment (recipient of The William Stickling Award); Mary Alice and Michael Benoit for transforming Elk’s Lodge into The Lodge Performing Arts Center; and Myles M. Godinez, whose student project on local watchmaking was recognized statewide.
In addition to these awards, eight homeowners who researched their properties’ histories will receive heritage building plaques. Since this program began in 1986, more than 500 plaques have been awarded.
The Elgin Heritage Commission is made up of nine voting members appointed by the mayor and city council. It serves as an advisory body focused on promoting preservation activities throughout the city.
Founded in 1835 along the Fox River, Elgin is recognized as Illinois’ sixth largest city with a reputation built on its architectural legacy, arts scene, diverse population, and ongoing investments in infrastructure aimed at supporting sustainable growth.
