Peoria Standard

State Representative Travis Weaver has announced the advancement of long-awaited restoration and repair plans at the Bishop Hill State Historic Site. A collaborative effort between the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Capital Development Board, and other stakeholders has been instrumental in this progress.

The Capital Development Board has appointed JLK Architects to develop an architecture plan to restore several buildings at the Bishop Hill site. JLK Architects previously completed the Steeple Building Exterior Restoration Project in 2013, funded by a Save America’s Treasure grant.

“This is incredible news and I am so excited for the Bishop Hill community and advocates who have waited so long for these positive developments,” stated Rep. Weaver. “The outreach process that led to this cannot be overstated, as there was incredible work done by so many people. We have had Bishop Hill advocates come to Springfield for a press conference, we’ve brought media coverage out to the Bishop Hill site, people have written letters to their legislators, the IDNR Director has visited Bishop Hill, and advocates have kept the message alive on social media channels for months on end. This has truly been a group effort, and I couldn’t be more proud of everyone’s contributions.”

He also extended gratitude to the CDB and IDNR, saying, “We recognize they have an extremely long priority list and substantial maintenance requests, so it means a lot to us that they are recognizing the needs of Bishop Hill.”

Bishop Hill, located in Henry County, includes various historic buildings, memorials, a park, and gazebo. Established in 1846 by Swedish immigrants, Bishop Hill was recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1984. However, many site structures require repairs due to neglect and lack of funding.

Owned by the State of Illinois and maintained by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Bishop Hill was listed by Landmarks Illinois as one of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois last year.