New Philadelphia, Illinois was the first town platted and legally registered by an African American in the United States. Founded by Frank McWorter, a former slave, in 1836, this town grew as a demographically integrated community through the late nineteenth century. The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) awarded funding of $14,800 to test the usefulness of low-altitude aerial surveys employing high resolution thermal imaging at New Philadelphia.

The success of this technique will provide an extremely useful resource for applications on numerous similar sites throughout the nation.

NCPTT and the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office hosted a half-day Cemetery Monument Conservation Basics Workshop in Morris, Illinois. on May 17, 2008.

NCPTT’s Jason Church is conducting site visits in preparation for the 2008 Cemetery Monument Conservation Basics Course to be held in Morris, Illinois, in June and the 2008 Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop to be held in New London, Connecticut in October.