On Friday afternoon, June 27, 2014, the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council (IHSAC) in Springfield, IL, considered the City of Morrison’s nomination to list the “Morrison Main Street Historic District” on the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination was presented and urged by the Morrison Historic Preservation Commission’s (MHPC) consultant, Nick Kalogeresis.
After hearing the evidence and considering the matter, the IHSAC voted to move the nomination to its last stage, by recommending it to the Department of Interior as a completely viable candidate for inclusion on the list of our Nation’s most important set of historic structures.
Being so recognized carries with it
- obvious marketing opportunities to draw visitors and increase sales in Morrison’s commercial section
- tremendous tax benefits for qualifying building owners within the District’s boundaries
- an official acknowledgement that Morrison contains such valuable assets
- the definite potential for enhancing property values throughout the community.
The MHPC performed the 700-plus hours of research necessary to complete the application over the last year. It paid for the consultant’s work with a Certified Local Government grant at no cost to the City.
MHPC Chair Tim Slavin said, “This has been a long road, but it marks a tremendous achievement for the members of the Commission and our fellow Morrisonites. They should all be proud of this accomplishment. We thank all those who supported the cause and assisted in this endeavor. Hopefully, by the end of 2014 we will learn that the final hurdle has been cleared, and we can all truly call ourselves ‘Historic Morrison.'”