Historic 'Banta House' Receives $30K Grant For Porch Restoration

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — An historic home in Arlington Heights will receive a $30,000 state capital investment as part of the 2022 Public Museum Capital Grant program. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday the "Banta House," located at 510 N. Vail Ave., will use the money for restoration of its famed porch.

“Rebuilding Illinois means investing in all types of infrastructure that improve communities and the quality of life for local residents. That includes an investment in the museums that protect our cultural heritage and offer unique programs and events for visitors to enjoy,” Gov. Pritzker said. “I am pleased to see the array of improvements and exhibits that will happen as a result of our 2022 Public Museum Capital Grants, made possible through the Rebuild Illinois capital program.”

The "Banta House" was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. According to the Arlington Heights Historical Museum website, the home built in 1908 by Nathaniel Moore Banta and his wife, Minnie Muller Banta, was the first architect-designed house in Arlington Heights. The "Banta House" is also used for display and storage of the Martha Mills doll collection, containing more than 1,000 dolls and the Lorraine Korenthal Dollhouse Collection.

Thirty-six Illinois museums will receive a total of $19.7 million in state capital investments to improve their facilities and develop new exhibits. The investments are made possible through the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, funded by the governor’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program, the first in nearly a decade, according to a news release.

In Schaumburg, the Spring Valley Nature Center at Heritage Farm is receiving a $700,000 grant.

The Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, is open to any museum operated by local government or located on municipally owned land. The maximum grant award for projects is $750,000, and matching fundsare required in many cases based on museum attendance levels.

More information about the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program is available online here.