Another Monee building is heading for Historic Landmark status. Built in 1868, St. Boniface Catholic Church, 5304 W. Main Street, is actually older than the village, which was incorporated in 1874.
Monee officials approved an ordinance during the February 12 village board meeting “authorizing the Will County Historic Preservation Commission and Will County to designate St. Boniface Catholic Church as a county landmark.”
Historic status does not imply any financial obligation from the village.
“Will County landmark status is protective,” WCHPC member Christi Holston explained. “If you own a county landmark, you can be assured that it will remain for future generations.
“Owning a Will County landmark is not only an honorary designation, but also a protective one. Landmark status does not mean a property cannot change; however, it does provide the opportunity to assure the historic character of the property will be preserved in a manner compatible with its history and with the property owner’s needs.
“Although the current economic climate has been a tough one, and grants are limited for historic landmarks, there are a few key programs that Will County landmark owners may be able to take advantage of, including: Illinois Tax Assessment Freeze Program for Historic Residences; Federal Tax Credits for National Register Properties; and Landmarks Illinois Heritage Fund Grant”
Holston said the Monee Historical Society had been contemplating submitting St. Boniface for landmarking several years ago.
“Erwin Bogs, Mayor Bogs’ father, joined the Historical Society in 2021, and we started talking about landmarking the church, but the project got put on hold,” she said. “About six months ago the project was revived by MHS member and St. Boniface parishioner Kathy Dornhecker.
“Kathy, St. Boniface Pastor Thomas Milota, church Secretary Kathy Sim, and I have worked together to compile the necessary historical documentation to apply for landmark status.
“Fellow Will County Historic Preservation Commissioner Andy Partek surveyed the property and wrote the Statement of Architectural Significance, and I wrote the Statement of Historical Significance, which both were submitted to the County Historical Commission and approved.”
The next step requires a public hearing and final approval of the Will County Board.
“Final approval of the Landmark status should be received in the next month or two, depending on when the public hearing can be scheduled,” Holston explained, adding the research and paperwork also have been submitted for St. Paul UCC, and an Intergovernmental Agreement is expected to be submitted to the village for approval within the next month.
“We are excited to be able to celebrate the history of Monee through the recognition of our historic buildings and cultural institutions in this tangible way,” she said.
“It is fitting that St. Boniface and St. Paul’s should both receive landmark status in the same year. The original congregations were established within two years of each other back in the mid-19th Century.
“These two pillars of the community have worked together and seen to the spiritual need of their flocks in harmony for more than 150 years and continue to do so. As we welcome other faith communities to Monee, the Monee Alliance of Churches is another tangible way this harmony of spirit can extend to our entire community.”
Landmarking for the two churches will be the fourth and fifth buildings so recognized since Holston and her husband, David, organized the Monee Historical Society a dozen years ago.
Already given the status are the old Creamery building, now called the Monee Heritage Center, as well as St. Paul’s Cemetery and the Fuerst residence on Margaret Street, a 1920s-era English Tudor Style house that is privately owned.