Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley

05/22/2026

Stucco being removed from Judge Barry House!!!

05/20/2026

Trust, but verify.

The remnant of an 1840s blacksmith shop in Geneva is again at the center of a legal battle between the city and the owner after the structure was encased in plastic.

05/06/2026

The City of Geneva, Municipality is hosting some great educational events for :

MAY 11 - Workshop on resources for historic properties, 6:30-8PM at the Geneva Public Library District.

MAY 19 - Walking Tour of Geneva's historic government buildings and infrastructure, 5-6:30PM at FirstState Bank, 323 W. State Street.

MAY 27 - Women of Geneva walking tour, 11-11:45AM beginning at Dodson Place, 500 S. Third Street. After this tour, guests will be invited to the Fabyan Villa Museum & Japanese Garden to learn more about codebreaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Nelle Fabyan and see Nelle's recently conserved Parisian Couture Gown designed by Georges Doeuillet. Tickets to the Fabyan Villa Museum are $5 per person.

05/04/2026

The blacksmith shop is now wrapped, but will the wrap satisfy the building maintenance codes that the property has been cited by the city of Geneva for violating?

The 1840s remnant limestone blacksmith shop in Geneva is now completely covered in plastic - nearly two years after the city cited it for not putting a tarp on it. City officials have given the developer 10 days to take it down

04/23/2026

So, uh, this happened yesterday...

The former 1840s blacksmith shop on the Fox River in Geneva was wrapped and encapsulated in some kind of white plastic.

Landmarks Illinois, City of Geneva, Municipality

04/12/2026

See demonstrations of the tools pioneers used to build the communities we now enjoy today!

03/09/2026

New tool for cities to tackle neglected buildings.

Illinois communities now have a new legal tool to seek remedies for vacant, abandoned and deteriorating commercial properties.

The Illinois Receivership Act, which became law on January 1, has the potential to be a transformative tool to proactively address historically significant properties that face “demolition by neglect.” Under this law, a municipality has the legal power to petition a court to appoint a receiver to take temporary control of properties. The receiver would oversee and direct rehabilitation work to address building violations and potential public-safety threats resulting from deferred maintenance.

If used proactively, this process could help communities mitigate the loss of historic assets across the state, such as the now-demolished Bresee Tower in Danville.

03/03/2026

🏚Even the geese are fans of historic preservation.

Goose on the roof of the Preservation Partners' office, the 1850 Beith House in St. Charles, March 3, 2026, 9AM.

02/19/2026

Come to City Hall tonight to weigh in on the future of the old police station in St. Charles!

What should happen with our downtown riverfront? The former Police Station site at 211 N. Riverside Avenue is one of St. Charles’ most significant redevelopment opportunities — and the City wants your input to help shape its future.

Stop by the City's Community Open House this week from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19 at City Hall, 2 E. Main St., St. Charles. This is a drop-in event — stop by at your convenience, explore potential options for the site, and share what matters most to you.

RSVP and spread the word here: https://bit.ly/3ZwGkbk

02/16/2026

St. Charles residents...

Make sure you drop by City Hall on Thursday, February 19 between 4-6 PM to offer your input on what you would like to see the old police station north of City Hall become!

Your input is needed! The City is exploring different options for future redevelopment of the former Police Station site along the downtown riverfront, and we want to hear from you. Join us for a community open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at City Hall, 2 E. Main St., St. Charles.

Drop in anytime to see different development concepts, share priorities and help shape what this prominent site could become.

For more information or to RSVP to the open house, visit the Facebook event at https://bit.ly/4rnF3iC. Don't forget to share!

📰Can't make it? You also can provide feedback through our ONLINE SURVEY: https://bit.ly/3NGl9kx

02/09/2026

Another little-known but significant historic structure on St. Charles’s east side is now a landmark.

More than 116 years after the construction what later became John Gartner’s Eastside Bakery, the surviving structure at 115 Cedar Ave. in St. Charles has received historic landmark status.