Gaylord Building Event Shares History Of Lockport's Central Square

LOCKPORT, IL — The Gaylord Building Historic Site invites the community to a special program sharing the story of how Lockport citizens saved the City's historic Central School and transformed it into today's Central Square, the organization said in a news release.

The "Think & Drink" program will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 18 at The Gaylord Building, 200 W. Eighth St., in Lockport. Admission is free, but registration is encouraged at https://savingcentralsquare.eventbrite.com.

Preservationist Gerald "Jerry" Adelmann was a key figure in the fight to save the Central School site, and he will share about "the courtroom drama, grassroots activism, and civic vision that reshaped Lockport’s identity," a release states.

According to the organization, the Central School building was built in 1896 after the devastating Lockport fire of 1895. By the late 1960s, the building’s future was in jeopardy when plans were made to sell the site, according to a release. A determined coalition of residents, attorneys, and business leaders fought a years-long legal battle to preserve the property.

"Their victory ensured the building’s survival and its rebirth as Central Square, home to city offices and a vital downtown gathering place. This struggle marked the beginning of Lockport’s modern preservation movement," a release states.

Adelmann, a sixth-generation Lockport resident, was one of the key figures in that fight. He went on to become a nationally recognized leader in historic preservation and land conservation. He helped restore the Gaylord Building in the 1980s and played a pivotal role in the creation of the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Area, the nation’s first National Heritage Area, according to a release.

From 1988 to 2023, he served as President and CEO of Openlands, guiding major regional initiatives such as the creation of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and the preservation of the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve.

“Saving Central Square was a turning point for Lockport,” Adelmann said in a release. “It showed that ordinary citizens could protect their heritage and shape the future of their community.”