McLean County Museum

Located in Bloomington, Illinois

Scope of Work

CAP Assessment

Berggren Architects performed a CAP Assessment (Collections Assessment for Preservation) for the McLean County Museum.

Project Completion

2019

This project was completed in 2019.

The History

Built in 1903.

The building was constructed in 1903 by Reeves and Bail Architects.

Location

Bloomington, Illinois

The McLean County Museum is located in Bloomington, Illinois.

CAP Assessment

McLean County Museum

, In 2019, Berggren Architects and conservator Clara Deck performed a Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) for the McClean County Museum in Bloomington, Illinois. The museum is housed within the original County Courthouse building, an American Renaissance style structure built in 1903. Since the relocation of the county government to its new office two blocks away, the building has been the home of both the museum and the McLean County Historical Society. Its collection includes an exhibition on the building itself and exhibition on the history of McLean County—including Abraham Lincoln’s time spent in Bloomington as an attorney.

In our report, we recommended the McLean County Museum to restore its rotunda ceiling, install fiber optic lighting, and restore/reinstall its historic light fixtures.. We also noted an  yellow substance on the building exterior, which is an unusual form of lichen.