Being recognized for something is normally seen as an accomplishment, a win-win situation.

But sometimes, it’s not complete, 100 percent great news.

Eastern has three campus buildings on the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency’s National Register of Historic Places. This piece of trivia shows an interesting fact and a recognition, but it’s not necessarily seen as a positive.

“For any state department, including universities, there are no advantages (to being on the list),” Steve Shrake, architect and director of the Physical Plant, said in an e-mail. “For private entities, there are tax credits and other incentives.”

At the same time, however, a piece of history is preserved when buildings are named to the register, others said.

“I believe history should be preserved, especially with the types and styles of buildings we have on campus,” Carol Strode, interim director of facilities, planning and management, said in an e-mail.

Old Main, Pemberton Hall and McAfee Gymnasium are the three historic buildings on campus that are recognized for their age and historical or architectural significance.

Interim President Lou Hencken said it is nice to have buildings on the register.

“I like historical buildings,” Hencken said. “I like that we try to preserve some of the history.”

Old Main, built in 1898, was the first campus building on the list. It was placed on the list on June 16, 1981, Strode said. Pemberton Hall, built in 1908, was put on the register on Aug. 26, 1982. Most recently, McAfee Gymnasium, built in 1937, was added on Aug. 9, 1995, she said.

To be eligible to be on the National Register of Historic Places, a building must be 50 years old and have significant historical or architectural value, Shrake said. A younger building could be eligible if it is connected to a significant person in society, he said.

Anyone can nominate a building, and the final decision lies with the Illinois Historical Preservation Agency, Shrake said. Nomination has to show research into the significance of the building as well as details such as its age and architectural style.

Eligible sites on campus include Blair Hall, the Steam Plant, the original Physical Science building and the original Booth Library.

Hencken would not like it, though, if all eligible buildings were recognized by the agency.

“If you want to do an evil deed to Lou Hencken, you can nominate the Steam Plant to be on the National Register of Historic Places,” Hencken said. “The Steam Plant, I think, is the ugliest building we have on campus.”

Hencken said he would like to see Blair Hall on the list.

“I was surprised to learn that it was not,” he said.

He said he recalled telling people in the past that four buildings were on the list because he thought Blair was included.

Having a building on the National Register of Historic Places also means the university must go through more procedures and fill out more paperwork if it wants to make changes to the buildings.

Hencken said planning ahead is crucial for any work to be done to the buildings on the list, which can be an advantage or a disadvantage considering how a person looks at the situation.

“It’s not an obstacle that’s 12-feet tall that you have to climb over,” he said. “It’s maybe an obstacle 1-foot tall that you have to jump over, but you can do it.”

Strode also recognized the difficulties that come with being listed when work needs to be done to a building.

“Maintaining buildings is more difficult because we are limited in what we can use,” Strode said.

Currently, Pemberton Hall’s windows are being renovated in accordance with the Illinois Preservation Historical Agency’s guidelines.

The agency does not require Eastern to do projects, but when the university chooses to do so, it must follow the set requirements, Shrake said.

“IHPA requires that windows in buildings on their list be renovated rather than replaced unless they are in extremely bad condition,” Shrake said. “They make the call.”

He said Pemberton’s windows needed to be renovated because they are drafty, hard to lift and deteriorated.

The project is about 50 percent complete now. Sleeping rooms should be finished by the start of the fall semester, and the non-sleeping rooms should be close to complete at that time as well, he said.