On January 7, 1987, the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation (UTUUC) donated a preservation easement to a secular, non-profit organization called The Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, now known simply as Landmarks Illinois.

This incredible gift insures that Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece Unity Temple will continually move toward restoration, that work at the building will adhere to the highest standards in historic preservation and that Wright's "jewel box" will remain open to the public in perpetuity.

Easements are a form of ownership over one aspect of a property. It’s possible for a property owner (in this case the congregation) to give away or sell individual elements of a property without giving up ownership entirely (farmers providing pathways through their fields and air or mineral rights are good examples). In the case of Unity Temple, the control over the historic aspect of the building is shared by Landmarks Illinois and the UTUUC.