DuPage Historical Museum finally got its new roof

It may be true that a sound building starts with a strong foundation, but it ends with a good roof.

Thanks to Dan Goodwin of the Inland Real Estate Group, DuPage County, and others, the DuPage County Historical Museum in downtown Wheaton now has both, including a new red-shingle roof completed last month.

The Adams Memorial building that houses the museum was built in 1891 by John Quincy Adams - the fourth cousin, twice-removed of the sixth president of the United States - in memory of his late wife.

The structure housed the Adams Memorial Library for more than 50 years before the library moved into its new building on Cross Street and the DuPage County Historical Society moved into the building at 102 E. Wesley St.

The museum was founded in 1965 and opened to the public in 1967. Its first holdings included artifacts gathered since the Historical Society's founding in 1929.

The Historical Society sold the museum to the county, but continued to partner with the museum throughout the years.

In 2008, an intergovernmental agreement between DuPage County, which owns the museum, and the Wheaton Park District, which staffs it, kept the museum from closing its doors.

"This building has meant so much to so many, and I am happy a new generation will grow up experiencing everything the building has to offer, from its amazing architecture to its rich history," said Michelle Podkowa, museum manager and educator.

The building's roof, however, long had been showing serious signs of age.

Goodwin, the founder and CEO of Inland Real Estate Group, noticed some of the interior water damage during a tour in 2014 and learned of the museum's decades-long efforts to replace it.

"I was reading a museum document from the 1990s discussing restoration plans and a sign requested that visitors imagine the roof matching the freshly painted red trim around the newly restored windows," Podkowa said. "It occurred to me that this project, though long for us, was much longer than we realized."

Plans to repair the roof seemed to get a boost early in 2014 when the state awarded a $608,000 grant for that purpose. But due to ongoing state budget issues, the check never arrived, leaving officials struggling to raise money and forcing museum staff members to improvise.

Goodwin suggested using shingles instead of slate tiles, which significantly reduced costs. But without the grant, the project couldn't proceed. So last October, Goodwin formally donated $200,000 for the project through his company's charitable wing.

"I believe in public-private partnerships," he said at the time. "I believe that we in business must do our share to help the county."

DuPage County agreed to cover the remainder of the $450,000 renovation, to which the DuPage County Historical Museum Guild also donated $5,000.

Construction started in late November.

Podkowa says she's excited about how the new roof might change people's impression of the area.

"On sunny days, the red adds an extra pop of color to the downtown Wheaton skyline," she said. "I cannot wait to see the building during the summer."

Indeed, original architect Charles Sumner Frost - whose most famous work, Navy Pier, still graces the Lake Michigan shoreline - always intended the building to have a red slate roof.

Slate tiles were a common choice at the time of the building's design and are capable of lasting 100 years or more.

Though they're not slate, the new red shingles are expected to last a lifetime and will better protect the artifacts beneath them.

"A vision from the museum staff in the 1990s of plans created 20 years ago has come to fruition," Podkowa said. "From that standpoint, it makes me feel extremely happy for the museum, the community, and all those involved over the last 20 years."