Central Illinois Landmarks Foundation

The Central Illinois Landmarks Foundation (CILF) stands as a beacon for historic preservation in Peoria and throughout Central Illinois. Established in 1972, the foundation has been instrumental in identifying, protecting, and enhancing buildings, structures, and places of historical and cultural importance. Located at 416 Hamilton Blvd in downtown Peoria, the CILF operates from the Greenhut Memorial Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Hall, a historic building itself.The CILF's mission extends to advocating for preservation, promoting landmarks, and forming strategic alliances to improve the region's quality of life. The Historic Markers Committee of the CILF has installed numerous recognition and interpretive markers throughout the Peoria area. Criteria for marker placement include the age of the structure, its architectural significance, or its association with a person or event of local, state, or national significance.The G.A.R. Hall, which houses the CILF, is a landmark in its own right. In the early 1970s, Leslie H. Kenyon led efforts to save the hall from demolition. Kenyon served as CILF president for much of its history. To make the building fully accessible, an elevator was added to the building in 2015, thanks to the generosity of Theo J. Kenyon, honoring her late husband.