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The Gaylord Building:
A Corridor Catalyst
The oldest remaining commercial building in the I&M Canal National
Heritage Corridor, the Gaylord Building had seen a lot of canal
life. Built in 1838 and later expanded in 1859, the limestone
structure has seen a variety of uses over more than a century. But
by the early 1980s, the building had fallen into disrepair and
needed some help.
Canal Corridor Association’s own Jerry Adelmann had noticed the
building. He knew of its history – and its potential. Aware that the
Gaylord family had once owned the building, he approached family
descendent and philanthropist Gaylord Donnelley and his niece Barbi
Donnelley, an avid preservationist, to explore the possibility of
rehabilitating the historic building.
Indeed, they were interested. But Mr. Donnelley had concerns that
extended beyond the building. A major manufacturer had recently
pulled out of Lockport and left 600 Lockport residents out of work,
hitting the community hard. He wanted to be sure that rehabilitating
his forebears’ building would be a catalyst for economic development
in Lockport by spurring revitalization of the downtown
Around the same time, Mr. Adelmann and other civic and business
leaders were working hard to achieve federal designation for the
canal corridor. Mr. Donnelley felt the designation would enable the
rehab project to do the greatest good, sparking similar projects and
heritage tourism throughout the corridor. Corridor advocates lobbied
the Illinois delegation, and Mr. Donnelley personally lobbied
Senator Charles Percy, saying he did not feel comfortable proceeding
without creation of the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor.
His steadfastness paid off when President Reagan signed the
legislation in 1984 creating the nation’s first heritage corridor.
The Gaylord Lockport Company, with leadership by Barbi Donnelley,
began work on the Gaylord Building rehab six months later. In 1987
the building opened to the public, featuring the Public Landing
restaurant.
The project was so cutting edge and well-executed that President
Reagan himself recognized the Gaylord Building by personally
presenting Mr. Donnelley with a President’s Award for Historic
Preservation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation now owns
the Gaylord Building Historic Site and Canal Corridor Association
manages it. The building is a hub of canal exhibits, tours and
programs. It is truly a centerpiece of the I&M Canal National
Heritage Corridor and a testament to the vision of those who made
its rebirth a reality.
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