$3,500 Landmarks Illinois grant awarded for Sash Stalter Matson building in Princeton

Restoration of the Sash Stalter Matson Building in Princeton continues.

The Bureau County Historical Society was awarded a $3,500 grant from Landmarks Illinois to pay for a structural study to determine the number of patrons the auditorium on the top floor can hold. This is part of the Phase 2 cosmetic renovation project.

The Sash Stalter Matson Building is Princeton’s former library that opened in 1913. It is being converted into a county history and learning center that also houses True Leaves Bookshop.

The Phase 2 cosmetic project will restore the stairwell and top floor to a functional status, said Lex Poppens, executive director of the Bureau County History Center. In January 2014, a water pipe burst on the top floor and lower level. The west entrance stairwell and a portion of the main floor ceiling was damaged, Poppens said. There was additional damage to the auditorium from a water leak around the chimney.

Phase 1 repaired the water damage to the main floor and allowed the historical society to welcome True Leaves, Poppens said.

After Phase 2, the historical society will gain full use of the building. Poppens said the historical society has raised more than 30% of the total funds.

The structural study and architectural renderings will set the stage for Phase 3 and help the historical society determine the best manner in which to provide disabled access to all floors of the facility, Poppens said.

“We are very thankful for the grant from Landmarks Illinois,” he said. “It will really help keep the forward momentum on the future of the iconic Sash Stalter Matson Building.”

Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Heritage Fund grants provide monetary assistance to significant structures or sites in Illinois that are under threat of demolition, in imminent deterioration, in need of stabilization, in need of structural or reuse evaluation or need to be evaluated for landmark eligibility.

A total of $29,000 in matching grants has been awarded to seven Illinois preservation efforts, including the history center project, in this latest round of grant funding.