26th Annual Illinois State Historical Society Centennial Awards
The Illinois State Historical Society’s seeks
sesquicentennial churches for its 2010 Centennial Awards Program.
Churches of all denominations established in Illinois in
1860 or earlier are eligible to apply for the special award, which includes a
certificate, a complimentary one-year membership in the Society, invitation to a
special awards banquet at Wheaton College, and statewide recognition. The
deadline for receipt of
applications and
nominations is January 15, 2010. Eligibility requirements are
listed below.
The Sesquicentennial Church Awards will be held in conjunction with the
Society’s 31st annual Illinois History Symposium
at Wheaton College, which also
celebrates its sesquicentennial in 2010. The symposium theme for 2010 is
“Abolition: The Spark that Ignited the Second American Revolution.” Churches
established in 1860 or earlier are considered ante-bellum institutions. However,
not all churches in Illinois were opposed to slavery, which was legal in the
United States until 1865, making the Prairie State a hotbed for abolition and
the Underground Railroad, and paving the way for Abraham Lincoln to be elected
president.
Eligibility requirements for the Sesquicentennial Church Award include
documentation of continuous operation for 150 years or more, supported by one or
more of the following items:
A $50 non-refundable
application fee is required with each application.
The Centennial Awards Program, established in 1984, has honored more than 1,100
businesses around the state. Award recipients receive a plaque inscribed with
the names of the standing Illinois governor and president of the Society, use of
the Society’s Centennial Awards logo on their business letterhead, a year’s
membership in the Society, and statewide recognition.
