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The Mount Pulaski Township Historical Society, the Mount Pulaski Looking for Lincoln Tourism & Community Development Committee, the Mt. Pulaski Abraham Lincoln Bi-Centennial Committee, and concerned citizens are mounting a letter-writing campaign to address the interior wall deterioration of our beloved courthouse. Our courthouse was established as an Illinois Historical Site in 1936 and has seen several renovation and repair projects over the years. However, the current state of many of the interior walls of the courthouse is now in need of immediate repair. Several years ago, the outside walls of the courthouse was painted a deep red, which did make the courthouse appear quite elegant. However, this heavy painting process has prevented the thick walls to breath properly, thereby causing the moisture to "weep" into the inside walls and cause cracking and peeling and crumbling to the inside paint and plaster. During the past two years, over 20 tours have visited our courthouse. Now, hundreds - thousands - of people realize what we have known all along - that the Mount Pulaski Courthouse is the only one of two surviving courthouses on the 1850's Central Illinois 8th Judicial Circuit, where our 16th President walked and rode a horse to argue cases in these courts of law covering over 422 miles while reaching into 14 counties. Mount Pulaski was the Logan County seat: 1847 - 1855. In 2001, Gov. Rod Blagojevich allocated $182,000 in state funds to rehabilitate the Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site, under the auspices of the Illinois Preservation Agency. However, these monies have not been released.
Below is a sample letter that has been
written;
Mount Pulaski was the Logan County seat: 1848 - 1854.
Our Courthouse was proclaimed by the state of Illinois
to be an Illinois Historical Site in 1936. Over the years, much
has been done to help preserve this wonderful edifice (Greek Revival
Architecture), one in which Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas
and Judge David Davis practiced law on the 8th Judicial Circuit
between 1848 and 1854 [Mr. Lincoln re-joined the circuit in 1849
following his defeat for election to the United States Senate.]
However,
during the past 10 years, much damage has occurred on the inside walls
due to the painting of the bricks on the outside. Moisture
cannot gravitate to the outside with its normal "weeping"
and so therefore goes to the inside, resulting in the cracking and
peeling of the plaster and paint on the inside. Immediate
attention needs to be taken, here. In 2001, Gov.
Rod Blagojevich released $182,000 in state funds to rehabilitate
the Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site, under the auspices
of the Illinois Preservation Agency. However, these monies have
not been funded.
Please
check into this very important matter and I will call you in a week or
so to see what you have come up with.
thank you very much,
Contact
Illinois Congressmen
http://www.landmarks.org/contact_us.htm --- The
above agency is currently the direction of our letter-writing campaign
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