Preserving historic buildings is very important for our heritage. Obviously, there are not enough resources to save every old house or building from the wrecking ball, but when there are people willing to raise the funds and do the work to repurpose a historic treasure for the good of a community, then those efforts should be supported.
In the Beverly community, the Ridge Historical Society is part of the effort to save the Eugene S. Pike House, located on the edge of the Dan Ryan Forest Preserve at 91st Street and Longwood Drive. We hope to have an update on the status of the Pike House soon.
In Joliet, efforts are underway to save the George Washington Casseday House. This article explores that. The house was built in 1851 by Casseday, who owned quite a bit of land in Joliet including the land the historic Joliet Correctional Center is built on.
It is now in the works to start an African American history museum in the building.