Woman’s club racing to protect Naperville landmark
At the northern edge of downtown Naperville sits a small stone church, built in 1899 with locally quarried limestone to house the German Evangelical People’s Church.
You may have noticed the landmark building’s purple door, but members of the Naperville Woman’s Club hope you’ve taken note of the front window with its pointed, Gothic arch and its Biblical images crafted in stained glass.
The window is original to the building but in need of repairs. Though the glass is in good shape, a protective cover is pulling away from the building, said Georgiann Baldino of Naperville, who is the building committee chairwoman for the club.
Members and friends of the group are participating in Giving DuPage’s the Human Race to help raise money to preserve the window, just as the club protected the old stone church when it bought the building in 1925. The club aims to raise $8,000 to replace the cover and redo the millwork.
The work needs to be done soon to protect the glass from damage, Baldino said, but the club depleted its building funds repairing the roof and tuckpointing deteriorating areas. Members hope donations through the Human Race will cover the expenses and that any shortfall can be made up through grants rather than cuts in spending on community projects.
Today, Baldino tells us more about her experience with the Naperville Woman’s Club and the Human Race.
Q. Who or what inspires you to participate? Did you sign up in honor of or in memory of someone?
A. Generations of women have volunteered for the Naperville Woman’s Club. The club was organized in 1897 at a time when women struggled to find roles outside their homes. It’s rewarding to have choices they didn’t.
Q. Why did you choose to join the Human Race to benefit the club?
A. No public funds are involved in the club’s efforts to preserve the stained glass window of our landmark building. The window needs to be taken out of the building, put back securely with a new cover, and the millwork replaced.
The structure is the sole 19th-century building in downtown Naperville built in the Gothic Revival style. The woman’s club has owned it since 1925, and if the club hadn’t purchased it, the building probably would have been demolished.
Q. What is your personal experience with the club?
A. Woman’s club members continually give their time, money and talents to support worthwhile community charities, but they also take time to support one another. When a member is sick or experiences a loss, the others find ways to help.
Q. What might surprise people about the woman’s club?
A. Every summer the club sponsors the oldest Illinois Art Fair in continuous operation.
Q. What have you learned about yourself and your club members?
A. Participating in the Human Race is outside the usual club functions, but members stepped up to show their commitment to an irreplaceable landmark.
Q. What support do you receive from the sponsoring organization?
A. I get a sense of belonging to something important. The club is a diverse group and provides a variety of ways to get involved, such as direct volunteering, art programs and youth scholarships.
Q. Have you ever done an event like this before and, if so, what was the experience like?
A. No, but thus far it has been great fun. I’ve volunteered at races before; this time I’m looking forward to participating.
Q. What would you tell someone who is interested in participating but might be the slightest bit hesitant?
A. If woman’s club members can join the race, almost anyone can.
Q. How can readers donate to your fundraising efforts?
A. Online at active.com/donate/dupagehumanrace/nwc or by sending a contribution to Naperville Woman’s Club, 14 S. Washington St., Naperville, IL 60540.