Broadgauge Honored with Building Preservation Award

By Benjamin Cox on September 28, 2022 at 2:08pm

A new Petersburg eatery recently received an award for exceptional preservation of the building it is currently housed in.

Landmarks Illinois announced that Broadgauge in Petersburg was the recipient of one of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. Broadgauge was one of only 3 recipients in downstate Illinois.

Built in 1872 as a megastore on Petersburg’s historic square, the Broadgauge Building in Downtown Petersburg has been reopened and reimagined by owner Douglas Pope. Today, the multi-purpose building includes a bar, restaurant, billiards room, event space and coffee shop and has become one of Petersburg’s largest employers.

Broadgauge also announced on its Facebook Page today that the building received final approval from the National Park Service that Broadgauge is now a “certified historic building” that underwent a “certified rehabilitation” that “meets the standards of the Secretary of Interior for rehabilitation”.

Ownership said in the post: “Thank you to the countless craftsmen that made this rehabilitation possible. The dedication to this project in the midst of labor and supply shortages was astounding.”

In all, Landmarks Illinois awarded 9 historic building preservation projects throughout the state.