NPS honors Atlanta’s Route 66 efforts

Two program managers for the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, under the auspices of the National Park Service, honored the town of Atlanta, Ill., for its ongoing Route 66 preservation efforts regarding the  historic Palms Grill, reported the Lincoln (Ill.) Courier.

“When Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985,” a Park Service brochure explains, “many of the mom-and-pop establishments that comprised the soul of the highway fell on hard times as traffic and customers were diverted to the interstates.

“Today, significant buildings and businesses are threatened by economic hardship, deferred maintenance, development pressures and a lack of awareness of the importance of these recent-past resources.”

Atlanta – with an appreciation of its buildings and ongoing community preservation projects – is an exception. That’s why its Palms Grill project, which includes restoration of a 1930s café and added space to house a museum, is so important.

“We saw this building before you stated working on it,” Barthuli said following a tour. “This is a Cinderella story.”

This isn’t a one-time thing. Atlanta has been a model for years in regards to historic preservation and Route 66 promotions. Check out its Web site as an example.

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