About Us
We are a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1981. We operate only within the City of Rock Island. Our goal is simple – to promote and advocate for historic preservation in Rock Island. Our main emphasis has been on public education – helping folks understand our architectural heritage, how it affects our community, and why it should be preserved. For the past twenty-two years, we have sponsored many activities to achieve that goal, from outdoor walking tours and interior home tours to hands-on restoration and rehabilitation workshops. We also present annual awards to recognize historic preservation efforts in Rock Island. And we write about the historic buildings as you can see from our postcards. Our dues are modest and we would be happy to have you join us.
We meet at 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at various locations. As a member you will receive a quarterly newsletter, email agendas before meetings, and minutes afterwards at your request. We do NOT distribute your email address to others. While your active participation is welcomed, inactive (dues only) memberships are also welcome.
RIPS is frequently confused with other worthy organizations. And while it is flattering, we like to get credit for our actions, too.
See our Constitution and Bylaws. june-2010-final-constitution
Who we aren’t:
Rock Island County Historical Society (RICHS). This is a not-for-profit house museum and library with a countywide interest and constituency that is staffed mostly by volunteers. We use their library with its amazing indexes and files regularly to research postcards. We appreciate RICHS tremendously. But that’s not us.
Broadway Historic District Association. This is a neighborhood organization within the National Register Broadway area. Among their major events are a Mothers Day house tour and Great Unveilings. While many Broadway residents are active in RIPS, that’s not us either.
KeyStone Neighborhood Organization. Another great neighborhood organization that is similar to Broadway’s except that it focuses on the historic Keystone neighborhood which is located east of 38th Street between 5th and 14th Avenues. Some of our members are from Keystone, too. But, sorry, it’s not us.
Rock Island Preservation Commission. This is a city commission, with members appointed by the Mayor and the City Council. The commission has legal responsibilities and can officially designate landmarks and local historic districts and review changes to those landmarks or properties in districts. Some of our members have been appointed to the commission over the years, but we aren’t the commission either.
