The City of Kewanee will use the $3,500 grant from Landmarks Illinois to pay a Historic Preservation Architect to provide an assessment of what work needs completed on the Woodland Palace in Francis Park. The assessment will include a list of work to complete on the structure, prioritize the list of work and provide cost estimates. The information from the architect will enable the City of Kewanee to target future grant writing efforts for a more successful outcome. The cost for the necessary work far exceeds city resources or a single grant so multiple grants will be needed to complete the project.
The Woodland Palace, built by Fred Francis in 1889. Francis spent 37 making the home into a remarkable feat of architecture and design, so much so that it has been recognized and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. There is no word on when the repairs will get underway but according to Landmarks Illinois, the priority work will be done on the roof of the Palace, the Solarium and the foundation.
