SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois officials are working to preserve artifacts from the 1908 Springfield Race Riots that were found at the site of a railroad improvement project.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis tells the State Journal-Register that he’s working with officials to move the items to museums, such as the Smithsonian or the Library of Congress.

Engineer Jim Moll says crews working on an underpass in 2014 discovered seven homes, including five that were burned during the riots, along with artifacts from a mid-1800s immigrant neighborhood.

The Federal Railroad Administration in February ruled that the $315 million project wouldn’t have to reroute its lines because of the discovery.

The rail project aims to alleviate rail congestion in downtown Springfield and includes new overpasses and underpasses. The project is scheduled for completion by 2025.