In lieu of a regular business meeting, we presented our annual Preservation Awards at the beginning of the Rock Island City Council meeting. Afterwards, a very large group adjourned to the Blue Cat. Although a short business meeting had been planned, the large group made it unfeasible so no business was transacted.

President Linda Anderson addressed the assembled group giving a brief history of RIPS activities over the past 28 years – extensive research, tours, workshops, conferences, and, of course, annual awards. She thanked the Council for allowing us to share our awards with them and then asked Mayor Dennis Pauley to make the presentations as she described the effort that merited the various awards.

Daryl Empen, Awards Chair, prepared a visual accompaniment for all of the awards as well as for the introduction. Daryl also photographed and created the framed award documents. After the 2008 awards were complete, Daryl presented Mayor Pauley with the engraved granite plaque for the Sylvan Natural Area. We had given this award last year, but the production of the plaque had been delayed.

Linda also thanked the press for the excellent coverage of award winners this year. Daryl had submitted different photos of each award winner to each newspaper and they were printed as well. Linda invited the Council and everyone else present to hear Mike Jackson, chief architect with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, make a presentation on Reduce + Reuse = Green Preservation on Wednesday, May 20, at 7 pm in the Council Chambers.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Next Meeting Monday, June 16, at Broadway Church in the parlors, 700 23rd Street. A volunteer to bring refreshments is needed. The July meeting is cancelled due to many vacation schedules.

RIPS Quilt is on display on the second floor of the Rock Island downtown library during May. Friends of Long View also has posters displayed in the first floor reference area.

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Summary of 2008 Preservation Awards

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION:

Rock Island Public Library, 401 19th Street, Ava Ketter, Director, for construction of an architecturally and historically compatible and aesthetically pleasing ground level portico for the handicapped-accessible entrance.

AWARDS:

Augustana College, Evald Hall, 3601 7th Avenue, Dr. Steven Bahls, President
This Adaptive Reuse award recognizes the successful transition of a former dormitory into offices while retaining and restoring the beautiful exterior stonework that characterizes Augustana’s 7th Avenue streetscape.

House at 834 23rd Street, Martin & Kathy Matherly. The large wraparound porch was so deteriorated that everything except the roof structure had to be removed and replaced. The Matherly’s replicated the original porch and were featured in a story by Brandy Welvaert on their award in the May 17, 2009, Argus/Dispatch.

House at 2208 7th Avenue, Dr. Francy Ricketts. Although the house was restored a few years ago, porch columns began a disastrous deterioration due to rotted bottoms. They were removed and repaired with new epoxy resins and then replaced. The balustrade, which had bent because of sagging was also repaired and restored.

House at 815 23rd Street, Karolyn Williams. Asphalt siding was removed several years ago in a Broadway Great Unveiling. Subsequent repair and replacement of areas of missing clapboard, reconstruction of a porch, and new paint garnered this award.

Case-Mitchell House, 720 20th Street, Mark & Deb Holmes. This is probably the most extensive restoration and rebuilding project Rock Island has ever seen as this historic home was transformed from a termite-ridden shell to a family home with the latest high-tech mechanicals and carefully restored details. Years of work, mostly by the owners, made this a well-deserved award. Also noted was the Holmes’ readiness to open their house for community groups.

SPECIAL ADVOCACY AWARD

Alan Carmen, Rock Island Planning & Redevelopment Administrator. Since the beginning of his nearly 30 year career in Rock Island, Alan has been a major advocate for preservation. His work on finding new owners for such homes as the Case Mitchell House (above), more recently the Schriver-Nettles House, and the Rock Island Lines depot, have enhanced both the aesthetics and the economic viability of the city. Thanks to his efforts, restoration of historic neighborhoods has invigorated aging areas. Alan’s award was featured in a QC Times story by Alma Gaul on May 10, 2009.

Diane Oestreich
(309) 788-1845
blueskies78900@yahoo.com