About Ivcha

IVCHA MISSION

 

The Illinois Valley Cultural Heritage Association will preserve the past for the future of Greene, Jersey and Calhoun Counties all in the Lower Illinois River Valley.

 

We will save historic properties and sites, whether we hold the property ourselves, or it is owned by others. 

 

We will be available to help others who have historic property, find grants and technical assistance for  preservation and restoration.

 

We will educate the public at large  about our local  history (pre-historic, rural, and settlement), historical figures, and our natural resources by means of brochures, marketing techniques, newsletters, workshops,  and festivals.

 

We will fundraise, sell services, lease operations to local individuals and groups, and procure grants and loans to raise monies to fund our operations and programs.

 

We will work in committees, with both public and private organizations. We will use the skills of a wide range of professionals, community leaders and volunteers to build the protection of historic and natural resources into the planning of our area’s future.

Who is IVCHA?

Founded in 1992 the Illinois Valley Cultural Heritage Association (IVCHA) is a community development organization focused on historic preservation, heritage and cultural tourism, and economic development.

IVCHA promotes and sponsors cultural activities and programs focused on historic and community preservation in Greene County, West Central Illinois.

 

IVCHA is the custodian of the 1861 James J Eldred House Historic site located along the scenic Eldred - Hillview Road.

 

IVCHA has no paid staff but is made of members all across the country. IVCHA is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. We always welcome new volunteers and members.

What is Cultural Heritage?

Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. Often though, what is considered cultural heritage by one generation may be rejected by the next generation, only to be revived by a succeeding generation.

Physical or "tangible cultural heritage" includes buildings and historic places, monuments, artifacts, etc., that are considered worthy of preservation for the future. These include objects significant to the archaeology, architecture, science or technology of a specific culture. "Natural heritage" is also an important part of a culture, encompassing the countryside and natural environment, including flora and fauna. These kind of heritage sites often serve as an important component in a country's tourist industry, attracting many visitors from abroad as well as locally.

Heritage Tourism is

Economic Development

 

Faced with the declining manufacturing and agricultural jobs, many rural communities are seeking new ways to sustain economic growth and increase employment. Often community leaders fail to recognize one industry that in recant years has been creating new jobs, income, and tax revenues—Heritage
Tourism.

ECONOMIC IMPACT:
Heritage tourism can make a significant contribution to the local economy. Tourists purchase goods and services locally and pay taxes at the same rate as local residents, although they do NOT consume or use many local services.

As a bonus, it has been proven that the community that is attractive to visitors is also attractive to industry. Superior living conditions, good recreational facilities, a lively historic district, with civic spirit abounding, is the same atmosphere sought by industries to build new plants.

BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY:
Tourism employs people who need jobs most, such as women, minorities, and youth. Tourism often employs people who do not want technical jobs and/or those who do want to work only part-time or seasonally.  Tourism jobs are recession fighters even in national recessions, tourism continues to produce new jobs.