The Galena Living History Alliance's (GLHA) primary goal is developing an Historic House Plaque Program to increase public awareness of and appreciation for Galena's and Jo Daviess County's historic buildings. The fundamental objectives are to preserve and celebrate the heritage of Galena’s built environment. Living in and maintaining an historic house links us to the past. This program is designed to encourage property owners to share information about their home with the community.

  There is no limit to the number of plaques that can be awarded by the GLHA Historic House Plaque Program. The only requirement is that each home must have been built before 1930. There are no restrictions on what the property owner can do with the property in the future.

  There’s no need to worry about installing a plaque or fearing that curious visitors will come to the front door to read the plaque. Plaques are mounted near the sidewalk, either on a wall, fence, or signpost, if homes are set back. GLHA will install the plaques at no cost.  The only cost to the homeowner is the plaque itself ($135) and the installation kit (post, concrete, and fasteners - $40), if that option is chosen.

  Following extensive research on historic towns throughout the country, GLHA selected a straightforward plaque design that was appropriate for the era in which Galena was developing into a city. The casting of the plaques would be done in Galena.

  Weeks of deliberation were spent considering sign fonts that would have been in use at the time. The plaque's dimensions were thoughtfully chosen. Which size would be most readable and fit the font? Cost was also a major consideration. To be successful, the historic plaque program needed to be affordable for all.

  Finished plaques now dot Galena, with more being added all the time: 10” x 14" cast iron, coated with a rust inhibitor, painted black, then the plaque information is hand-painted. The year the home’s construction was completed is at the top of the plaque. Underneath is the name of the first person to call that house their "home." The word “House” follows the original homeowner’s name. Beneath that is a spacer—two lines with a dot in the middle—also true to the founding era of Galena. The occupation of the homeowner on the day they moved in is listed below the spacer. If a significant addition has been made to the original structure, the name of the home is hyphenated and includes the year of the addition, the name of the owner, and their occupation.