The Peoria Historical Society was recently awarded a $7,190 allocation from the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) to hire a conservation assessor and preservation assessor to assess the Society’s collections and two historic structures. The assessments will be conducted on-site in August.

The conservation assessor will examine the Society’s current collections and conditions affecting exhibits, storage and care. The preservation assessor will evaluate the architectural features of the historic structures owned by the Society – the John C. Flanagan and Pettengill-Morron House Museums. Barry Baughman of River Forest, IL will assess the Collections and Anne McGuire of Evanston, IL will assess the houses. CAP is a program funded through a cooperative agreement between Heritage Preservation and the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences.

“We were extremely pleased to have been awarded this allocation,” said Walter C. Ruppman, Executive Director, Peoria Historical Society. “It seems like every week we turn up some new and exciting piece of Peoria’s colorful history. Even though we have a lot of energetic and active volunteers, having professional assessors on hand will be a tremendous assistance in helping us preserve these artifacts for future generations.”

The Peoria Historical Society’s roots can be traced back to 1839 and was officially incorporated in 1934. Since that time, the Society has sought to preserve and promote the unique history of the central Illinois River valley. Today, the Society continues to protect and celebrate the heritage and history of the great city of Peoria.