The Aurora Preservation Commission recently recognized Jan Mangers with its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mangers, a longtime city employee, spent more than 20 years preserving historic properties in the city, developing the current-day preservation community.
Preservation Commission members said she “has made a substantial impact on the community and preservation in Aurora.”
“Her advocacy and commitment have spanned more than 20 years …,” commission members said in honoring her.
As director of the Preservation Department at the city, she obtained grants that helped with the restoration of the stained glass windows at the GAR Hall museum downtown, as well as restoration of the memorial sculptures on the bridge downtown.
She was instrumental in saving the Aurora Hotel building downtown, which was close to being demolished.
Other projects the commission credited to Mangers’ stewardship include saving the John Wagner House, an 1840s house now at Blackberry Farm; saving the Thatcher House, an 1860s house now at The Growing Place; moving the MacArthur House from its River Street location to 109 N. View St. and restoring its 1840s appearance; and restoring the Lincoln Highway Shelter, built around 1923, on Hill Avenue near Phillips Park.
She oversaw, along with Preservation Commission members, content and production of brochures, including, “Aurora – An Architectural Portrait,” “The Civil War Era Architecture of Aurora Illinois” and “Building Aurora – Sears Houses in Aurora Illinois.”
Commission officials said she worked with neighborhoods to get historically-appropriate streetlights and pillars for the local historic districts.
Ald. Michael Saville, 6th Ward, a member of the City Council since 1985, pointed out that when he first came on the council, there was only one historic district in the city. Now there are four.
“They really made a difference in my ward,” he said. “Jan did a great job. She set the tone for preservation in the city.”
The city also gave out its annual Historic Preservation Mayor’s Awards. They are given to property owners who do preservation on their historic homes.
For 2024, the awards went to Luis Lugo, 455 Spruce St.; Juan and Graciela Morales, 501-503 S. Lincoln Ave.; Mark Robinson, 427 S. Lincoln Ave.; Jose Gabriel and Rita Banuelos, 603 Palace St.; Maria Velazquez, 215 Grand Ave.; and Alfredo Leon and Flora Aguiniga, 404 S. Lincoln Ave.
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