City of Joliet Celebrates Its History and Heritage in May

Places matter. During the month of May, which is National Historic Preservation Month, the City and its partners will be recognizing its historic places, older neighborhoods, and people who in have dedicated their time to preserving places that matter. The City will be highlighting unique places daily on its Facebook posts, celebrating its historic assets during a presentation at the May 4^th City Council meeting, commemorating people and entities who have dedicated their time to preserving Joliet’s history at the May 18^th City Council meeting, and promoting new publications on the very things that make Joliet architecturally interesting and special.

Consider signing up for a Downtown Joliet Architectural Tour that the Joliet Area Historical Museum is offering Saturday mornings; or, take a Tuesday tour of the historic Rialto Square Theater.  If you want to do a self-guided walking tour, the Historic Preservation Commission has a downtown and Upper Bluff tour guidebooks available on its webpage. The Cathedral Area Preservation Association also has three self-guided tours on its webpage.

Our final recommendation. Go for a walk and look up. Notice what makes the houses and buildings around you unique as well as similar. You don’t have to live in the near west side or east side of the City to reflect upon our City’s as well as nation’s built heritage. Newer houses draw on precedents from the past. What precedent do you see?

Happy viewing……..

Contact Jayne M. Bernhard, City Planner and Staff Liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission for more information:

or (815)724-4052

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