Learn about '40 Years of Restoration' at Garfield Farm Museum

Posted February 06, 2017 10:00 pm

Garfield Farm Museum

Learn about Garfield Farm Museum "40 Years of Restoration" at the Feb. 12 lecture. Many buildings that were in bad condition have been preserved and restored. Courtesy of Garfield Farm Museum

Learn about the 40-year history of restoring buildings at Garfield Farm Museum with executive director Jerome Johnson at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12. The talk is the second in a seven-part series of lectures for the museum's 40th anniversary.

In the mid-1970s, Elva Ruth Garfield was looking for a way to preserve her family's historic farmstead as a museum. Seeking the assistance of Eve S. Johnson, a local volunteer historic preservationist, it was hoped a local or state agency would take interest. When no solution was found, the two decided to establish the necessary nonprofit organizations and recruit donors and volunteers to create an 1840s living history farm museum.

Not only would the historic buildings need to be preserved but also restored to an appropriate time period. At that time, eight structures from 1842 to 1913 needed attention as a concept and plan was put together for the project. Starting from scratch the potential for success was always in question.

Today, the scope has more than tripled as moving some support historic structures to the site, adding the second generation's 1859 95-acre farm and its buildings, and constructing some smaller structures for interpretation or storage create a total of over 27 edifices.

Starting with some buildings that were in severe condition, the talk will highlight the decision process and methods used to prioritize their stabilization, preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation.

Various buildings are in different stages of restoration so this is a rare opportunity to still learn of the ongoing process that ultimately will be completed with successful fundraising.

There is a $6 donation for the program and reservations are helpful to plan the homemade desserts. Call the museum at (630) 584-8485, or email info@garfieldfarm.org.

Garfield Farm & Tavern Museum is a 375-acre historically intact former 1840s Illinois prairie farmstead and country inn that is being restored to serve as an 1840s participatory living history museum. The museum is on Garfield Road, off Route 38 in Campton Hills, 5 miles west of Geneva.

Visit www.garfieldfarm.org or www.facebook.com/GarfieldFarmMuseum/.

Learn about Garfield Farm Museum "40 Years of Restoration" at the Feb. 12 lecture. Many buildings that were in bad condition have been preserved and restored. Courtesy of Garfield Farm Museum

Since the 1970s, volunteers, contractors and staff at Garfield Farm Museum have been working on preserving and restoring buildings on the farm. Courtesy of Garfield Farm Museum

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