Naper Settlement director to retire

Naper Settlement's longtime executive director, Margaret “Peggy” Frank, will retire in January after 33 years at the 19th-century living-history museum.

Frank announced her plans in a written statement released Tuesday evening. She said it's time to “start another journey, to explore new opportunities, new directions ...”

During her tenure, she said, the museum made great strides in restoring buildings and making the settlement grounds a welcoming place for visitors.

City Manager Doug Krieger said he was sad to receive Frank's letter Tuesday but wished her well.

“in my opinion she practically built and is the individual most responsible for Naper Settlement,” he said. “(The Settlement) will continue on as an incredible legacy to what she has done over the past 32 years.”

She helped oversee construction of the Pre-Emption House Visitor Center and the renovation of the Martin Mitchell Mansion.

But one of her proudest moments came in 2002 when the settlement received accreditation from the American Association of Museums.

Even with all that, much more work lies ahead, she said, and “I feel it is the right time to let a new leader take over the helm.”

She said the city already is looking forward to its bicentennial in 2031.

A Chicago native, Frank had worked for the Historical Society of Delaware before coming to Naperville in 1979 as the settlement's first paid curator.

Under her leadership the museum grew from a grass-roots local effort to a professional organization

When she came to Naperville, she said in her statement, “I never guessed I'd find such a warm welcome, rewarding yet challenging opportunities, and most of all a home and mission that allowed me to grow personally and professionally. But find that I did.”