The Gaylord Building Historic Site has received two statewide awards from the Illinois Association of Museums (IAM), recognizing the site’s recent work in exhibition design, public history, and community engagement.

The Gaylord Building’s 2025 exhibit, 50 Years to Overnight Success: The Story of the Lockport National Historic District, 1975–2025, received an Award of Excellence, while the site’s ongoing Story Wall initiative received an Innovation Award.

The Award of Excellence recognized 50 Years to Overnight Success, a temporary exhibit that explored how historic preservation helped transform downtown Lockport over the past five decades. Featuring large-scale pen-and-ink artwork by Lockport architect and artist Bob Morris, the exhibit traced the preservation movement that reshaped the city’s historic core and laid the foundation for the vibrant downtown visitors enjoy today.

During the awards ceremony, IAM Secretary Debbie Fandrei noted that judges “appreciated how this exhibit celebrating the historic preservation of downtown Lockport became an immersive experience, with murals on the walls and a painted floor map to help engage visitors on multiple levels.”

The exhibit was developed by Gaylord Building staff in collaboration with Morris, whose career has included the restoration and revitalization of several historic buildings in downtown Lockport. Additional design and installation support was provided by Lockport Mayor Steven Streit, who also brought his graphic design expertise to the project. Although 50 Years to Overnight Successis no longer on display, the recognition affirms its impact as both an interpretive exhibit and a celebration of Lockport’s long preservation legacy.

The site’s second honor, an Innovation Award, recognized the Story Wall, a flexible micro-exhibit space created within the Gaylord Building’s first-floor gallery. Designed as a rotating platform for short-term installations, the Story Wall allows the museum to feature timely research, student work, local partnerships, and focused stories that might not otherwise become full-scale exhibits. Since its launch, the Story Wall has featured exhibits on student interpretations of Lockport history, rare photographs by early 20th-century photographer H. H. Carter, and abolitionist Ichabod Codding.

“The awards committee appreciated how the Story Wall increased community connections, while giving staff a chance to explore new and limited-run stories,” Fandrei said.

Together, the two awards reflect the Gaylord Building’s growing role as a leader in creative public history in Lockport.

“We’re incredibly honored to receive both of these awards,” said Clint Cargile, Manager of Public Programs at the Gaylord Building. “We’re always looking to explore history in new ways that feel meaningful, creative, and connected to the community. These recognitions show that approach is resonating.”

Owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Gaylord Building Historic Site interprets the history of the Illinois & Michigan Canal Corridor and the people who shaped the region. Through exhibits, public programs, and partnerships, the site continues to explore new ways of connecting the past to the present.
upcoming programs, visit www.gaylordbuilding.org. ccargile@gaylordbuilding.org or 608-630-1844.