BLACK HOMESTEAD FARM
BLACK HOMESTEAD FARM
Established by Land Grant in 1821
HONORS
To contact us with questions or comments: mailbox@blackhomesteadfarm.com
Illinois Centennial Farm - 1973
To qualify as a Centennial Farm, an agricultural property must have been owned by a straight or collateral line of descendants of the original owner for at least 100 years. Applicants must complete application and verification forms. These forms request information regarding the present owner and location of the farm, a listing of ancestral owners and third-party verification of records proving lineal or collateral descent.
A recognized title searcher, such as an abstractor, an attorney or a recorder of deeds, can verify lineal descent. Applicants meeting all requirements of the program are notified by mail. The owner receives an official Centennial Farm sign suitable for outdoor display and a certificate bearing signatures of the Governor of Illinois and the Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. All application materials and other papers of historical significance are placed on file at the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Centennial Farm sign on display
at the Black Homestead Farm
at the Black Homestead Farm
Illinois Sesquicentennial Farm - 2001
The Illinois Department of Agriculture also administers the Sesquicentennial Farms Program. The application and verification processes are the same as the Centennial Farm Program except that the property must have been owned by a straight or collateral line of descendants of the original owner for at least 150 years. Applicants meeting all requirements of the program are notified by mail.
The Centennial Farm Program was established to honor the generations of farmers who have worked to maintain family farms in Illinois. Each Centennial Farm designee is a link to America's heritage and a reminder that the family farm remains a viable entity in today's agriculture. The Illinois Department of Agriculture administers the Centennial Farms Program. Since the program's inception in 1972, the department has certified more than 8,000 farms.
The Black Homestead Farm was designated as a Sesquicentennial Farm by Illinois Department of Agriculture and Governor George Ryan on January 23, 2001. The farm has become an enduring testimonial to Illinois' rich agricultural heritage. The Sesquicentennial Farm Program recognizes the pride and determination of the generations who have labored to maintain this farm as an integral part of Illinois agriculture. Since the program's inception in 2001, the department has certified more than 200 farms.
What a Coincidence!
Several years ago, Stephen F. Black sent
a letter to the Illinois Department of Agriculture suggesting they begin a Sesquicentennial Farm recognition program.
Several years ago, Stephen F. Black sent
a letter to the Illinois Department of Agriculture suggesting they begin a Sesquicentennial Farm recognition program.
National Register of Historic Places - 2005
The National Register of Historic Places is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archeological resources.
Properties listed in the Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Properties listed in the Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Properties are nominated to the National Register by the State Historic Preservation Officer of the State in which the property is located, by the Federal Preservation Officer for properties under Federal ownership or control or by the Tribal Preservation Officer if the property is on tribal lands.
The review board makes a recommendation to the State Historic Preservation Officer either to approve the nomination if, in the board's opinion, it meets the National Register criteria or to disapprove the nomination if it does not.
This monument, constructed for the
plaque by Kent M. Black and Stephen F. Black, sits in the front yard near the
road at the Black Homestead Farm.
plaque by Kent M. Black and Stephen F. Black, sits in the front yard near the
road at the Black Homestead Farm.
Ordinarily, State nomination forms are prepared by private individuals or the staff of the State Historic Preservation Officer. These nomination forms are then submitted to a State review board, composed of professionals in the fields of American history, architectural history, architecture, prehistoric and historic archeology and other related disciplines.
The owner receives an official Sesquicentennial Farm sign suitable for outdoor display and a certificate bearing signatures of the Governor of Illinois and the Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
