Menard County, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – When you walk “where Lincoln walked,” you might wonder what he would think of the neglect.

State Sen. Steve McClure (pictured, left) (R-Springfield), carrying a bill for $19 million worth of repairs to the New Salem State Historic Site, said he has been told the roofs are collapsing on three buildings, yet he can only find two.

“This is the most important state historic site — this and President Lincoln’s tomb,” said McClure. “If the state were to take care of these sites on a regular basis and continuously upkeep the maintenance, it’s not going to get to this point. If this had been repaired ten years ago, it wouldn’t cost near as much as it’s going to cost now. The same is true for the other state sites.”

The Lincoln Home is a federal site.

McClure and another lawmaker, State Rep Wayne Rosenthal (pictured, right) (R-Morrisonville), took reporters on a tour Monday. Rosenthal was director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in the Rauner administration. Did anybody speak up then about the state of New Salem?

“We looked at it, but it still takes time,” said Rosenthal, citing shortages of funds and personnel, “and normal maintenance becomes deferred maintenance, which becomes deterioration over time and that’s what has happened in a lot of cases.”

To volunteer Gina Wolter (pictured, center), it’s just sad.

“You know, when you grow up with this in your back yard, you kind of take it for granted, until you start seeing it deteriorate,” she said.

 

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