Serving the 71st District with Mike Boland

Did you know that in Mt. Carroll there is currently a school being put together to teach the art and science of historic preservation to everyone from interested amateurs to National Park Service professionals? Mount Carroll’’s Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies is even expected to draw students from other countries, acting as a global learning and teaching center for historic preservation.

Representative Boland and I both believe that historic preservation is vitally important to protect critical elements of our vast heritage, here in the melting pot that is America. Once lost, some historical artifacts can never be restored or replaced. Mike Boland was a history teacher for 30 years before being elected to office, so it's pretty obvious where his appreciation of history developed.

My family currently lives in, and are slowly restoring, a house built in 1929-1930, and our previous residence was built by German immigrants in the late 1800's. I also had the privilege to live for a year at Grand Canyon National Park (where I worked as a chef,) and I was an avid backpacker when my health was better. So, I have a great appreciation and respect for the National Park Service and their work, not only in protecting wild places but also in protecting historical sites and artifacts.

When Representative Boland and I learned about Mount Carroll’’s Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies, we were very excited about the school's potential. It's truly a beautiful setting for teaching historic preservation. The Campbell Center is located on the historic campus of what was formerly Shimer College. The present 14-acre campus, with its quadrangle of Georgian Revival buildings, dates from the early 20th century. The buildings were designed by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge. Their Chicago office also designed the present Chicago Cultural Center and the main building of the Art Institute of Chicago. Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge also designed other college campuses, including that of Stanford University.

There was even a Huntoon, or two, who attended Shimer College in Mt. Carroll, if I remember my family history correctly. If you'd like, you can follow this link - Campbell Center - to learn more for yourself about what is happening today at Campbell Center from the source.

During a previous session of the Illinois General Assembly, Representative Boland secured a $100,000 grant to assist the Campbell Center. If I remember correctly, Senator Dick Durbin also helped to secure additional funding for the Campbell Center not long after the grant that Representative Boland presented. The news release from Boland's check presentation to Mount Carroll’s Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies follows.


Boland Presents Campbell Center Grant
Representative Delivers $100,000 in State Funding to Mt Carroll School

MT CARROLL, IL — At a news conference and check presentation ceremony, State Representative Mike Boland presented a $100,000 ceremonial check to Mount Carroll’s Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies. This check represents state funding obtained by Boland to help provide for infrastructure improvements and rehabilitation at the Campbell Center, which is located in Mount Carroll on the former campus of Shimer College.

"I am very excited to be here today to award state funding in the amount of $100,000 to the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies," Boland stated. "It was a major undertaking to secure funding for any projects in this last year," he continued, "So it’s especially gratifying to have been able to deliver this grant despite ongoing state budget difficulties."

"As an educator who’s spent more than 30 years teaching history classes, I get great joy from being able to help the Campbell Center teach historical preservation," Boland said. "It’s wonderful to be a part of this effort which is focused on teaching the preservation the past as an educational tool for the future," he added. "I know from first hand experience, that giving folks a better understanding and appreciation of history will give them a lifetime of enrichment down the road," Boland continued.

The Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies offers continuing education to meet the training needs of individuals who work to preserve historic landscapes and cultural, historic, and artistic properties. The Campbell Center was founded in 1979 because many museums in the United States did not have adequately trained staff to properly care for historical artifacts. Located in Mount Carroll on the historic former campus of Shimer College, the actual campus is celebrating its 150th year of continuous use as an educational facility.

"I would also like to stress that the Campbell Center is not only an educational asset for those people working in the conservation and preservation fields," Boland stated. "It is also a valuable asset to the rural area of Carroll County," he added. "The restoration and rehabilitation of the exisiting Campbell Center campus, and the expansion of their educational programs, will have far-reaching, positive economic effects on the entire area," Boland concluded.