The National Park Service has added the 1840s-era Strawbridge-Shepherd House on the southern edge of the University of Illinois Springfield campus to the National Register of Historic Places.
The home, which was restored by the Elijah Iles House Foundation, was officially listed on June 8.
James Welt, who graduated from UIS in May with a master's degree in history, led the effort to have the house added to the registry, according to the university. He spent more than 200 hours researching and writing a proposal that was submitted to the National Park Service.
"Buildings like the Strawbridge-Shepherd House provide us a visual connection to the past that you can't get from a history book," Welt said in a news release. "Now that it is granted, I feel a bit of relief and satisfaction that the house has a level of protection."
The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on July 31, 2015.
Read the story online.
