Tourism Director Karen Peterson said Charleston was shocked when the Blagojevich administration announced the Lincoln Log Cabin would close, effective Oct. 1.

“I think it will greatly impact our economy,” she said.

Peterson said Charleston’s biggest draws in tourism are Eastern and the Lincoln Trail sites.

With the closing of the cabin, Charleston now relies solely on the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum to draw tourists to the Lincoln Trail sites.

“People usually see it as a package deal,” she said. “They come to the log cabin or they do both. The cabin is the bigger draw.”

The cabin closed after Gov. Rod Blagojevich cut the historic sites division budget from $5.6 million to $2.8 million for fiscal year 2009. The Blagojevich administration closed 11 other historic sites.

The closed sites were selected because of low attendance.

Without the cabin, less people will stop and eat or fill up their gas tanks, Peterson said. The effect will reverberate through Charleston’s economy, she added.

Because the site is state funded, Charleston city officials can do little to help re-open the site, Peterson said.

“It rests with the people in Springfield; they need to reinstate funding,” she said.

Other city officials were surprised at Blagojevich’s decision to cut historical site funding in half and close the cabin.

“We really didn’t expect it to close, but it’s only temporary,” said Mayor John Inyart.

Council Member Jim Dunn said the city could maybe do some type of fundraiser for the cabin.

“It really is a beautiful place to take your family and have a picnic,” he said.

The cabin has events set throughout the year from summer tours to Christmas Candle and Lights in December. The cabin will open periodically for events. Details on which events will remain in the schedule have not been announced.

Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at [email protected].