Naper Settlement re-creates life from the 1800s
The construction of the Martin Mitchell Mansion in 1883 marked the beginning of modern Naperville.
The Victorian home doubled as a showcase for Mitchell's brick and tile business, featuring the latest amenities including indoor plumbing, electricity and a telephone. The Mitchell family bequeathed the home and surrounding 212 acres to the city in 1936 with the conditions that the mansion not be moved and the land be used for public good.
"They were a very forward-thinking family," said Donna DeFalco, marketing coordinator for the Naper Settlement.
Part of the result was the 12-acre Naper Settlement history museum, which has become home to 30 structures, including 18 original historic buildings that have been moved to the site and 10 replicas, meant to teach visitors of all ages about Naperville's past that dates to 1831.
Buildings include a firehouse, a stonecarver's shop, a print shop, a post office and a log house.
One of the highlights of the settlement is a one-room schoolhouse where children can see what attending class was like a century ago. The desks include readers and a chalkboard spells out important rules like "obey thy elders" and "speak only when spoken to."
Volunteer or staff interpreters take on the role of school marm and are happy to describe and explain what rural schools were like in the 1800s. For example, most teachers were men before high casualties in the Civil War left many openings that had to be filled by women, and discipline often took the form of making children wear shaming signs saying "idle boy" or "tongue wagger."
There are also interpreters who perform other tasks, such as spinning wool, grinding corn, churning butter and working in the blacksmith shop.
The Century Memorial Chapel is worth visiting when it isn't occupied with one of the 150 weddings held there each year. When its congregation decided to move to a bigger building, the Naperville Heritage Society rallied to save the chapel. The building was broken into three pieces and moved through town to Naper Settlement. The first building to be moved to the museum, it underwent two years of renovation, which helped reveal original stenciling that had been forgotten.
"It was truly a labor of love," DeFalco said. "They wanted it for the community as a gathering place for everyone."
During the school year, about 35,000 students come to the outdoor museum every year for programs that fit into their curriculums.
Summer offers plenty of fun activities for the whole family along with the usual attractions, and a variety of special programs will be offered during August and September.
From 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 29, admission includes an ice cream sundae with all the toppings you can pile on.
The Weed Ladies set up shop at the museum's Daniels House from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays when you can watch them arrange flowers and buy some to take home. You can also catch their fall floral sale Thursday to Sunday, Sept 16-19.
New this year is a celebration of National S'mores Day. The museum will stay open until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10, and families are welcome to bring a picnic dinner then play games, listen to stories and make the graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallow treats around a campfire at Fort Payne. The open-air structure was built over the course of one weekend in1979 by 1,700 volunteers.
"The kids love the fort," DeFalco said. "They climb up in it and look out the windows."
Thursday, Aug. 19, is National Potato Day and Naper Settlement will celebrate with potato sack races and games of hot potato.
The Naperville Jaycees will host a variety of kids' activities including crafts, science demonstrations and magic shows as part of the Last Fling celebration on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 4-5.
Rounding out the month, the Naperville Wine Festival will offer food and wine tastings, seminars and cooking demonstrations Friday and Saturday, Sept. 17-18. The Harvest Pow Wow on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 25-26, will include Native American dancing, cultural demonstrations, games and crafts.