Galena Foundation receives prestigious state award for pursing its mission

by P. Carter Newton, publisher
Excerpt courtesy of Galena Gazette

For 25-plus years, the Galena Foundation tackled one project after another in pursuit of its mission: to support people and organizations engaging in projects which preserve Galena’s heritage and unique culture.

The Foundation supported big and small projects thanks to donations, large and small, from the community.

For these efforts, the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois honored the Foundation recently with its Richard H. Driehaus award for community leadership, the most prestigious award of the organization and the preservation community.

In giving the award, Landmarks Illinois noted that “The Galena Foundation has had over 25 years of success educating the public on the significance of their local architecture and raising funds for its ongoing maintenance. The money raised has been put back into the community through matching grants for historic preservation projects, including the restoration of the Old Firehouse; the Grant Park gazebo, fountain and cannon; roofing and mechanical upgrades for the Galena/Jo Daviess County History Museum; and archival preservation of historic Galena area photographs.”

This is the organization’s second Driehaus award. In the late 1990s the city of Galena and the Galena Foundation received a project award for the steps renovation project which included the Firehouse steps next to the Galena United Methodist Church, Green Street steps (also known as the Old High School Steps) and the steps behind the library up toward Prospect Street.

The Foundation has also supported Turner Hall and installed the fencing at the Old City Cemetery.