Historic Campton town hall open house planned for Saturday
Campton Township officials will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the township’s original town hall, 4N498 Town Hall Road, Campton Hills.
The open house is the first since the township landed a $60,000 grant to repair the foundation and use the building for educational purposes.
“The town hall was built in 1874 and throughout the years has had many open houses. This is the first open house since the township moved its offices out of town hall,” said Laurel Garza, the township’s volunteer coordinator.
The hall was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and the Kane County Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Louise McKay, the township’s finance director, said the township applied for a grant in January 2010, was awarded it four months later and completed the project in March 2011. The grant was for $60,000, McKay said.
Part of the grant, which came from riverboat funds, requires that the township use the facility for educational purposes.
Garza said volunteers have assembled displays chronicling the township’s early settlers, efforts to conserve open space and secured some historical pieces from the Corron Farm. During the foundation renovation, workers also found some old bottles, which will be on display along with old books and square-headed nails preserved from the building’s original outhouse.
“It’s just a small, one-room building. It’s an exciting place,” Garza said, noting volunteers hope to host Scout troops and class field trips in the future. “We’re trying to get the word out that were there.”
The open house is free and light refreshments will be served. For more information, visit camptontownship.com or call (630) 387-1016.