Naper Settlement welcomes first new structure since 1983

Naper Settlement has added a building to its historic collection of 30 structures for the first time since 1983.

The Milk House, dating to the early 1900s, signifies Naperville's strong agricultural history and early adoption of farming technology.

Originally part of the Maple Knoll Dairy Farm, owned by the Bauer family and established in 1900, the Milk House was used to store milk prior to transportation to a creamery. The property was in Naperville, bounded by what is now Ogden Avenue, Washington Street and I-88.

Ownership of the farm changed hands in 1938 and the property became known as the Case Dairy Farm, which remained in operation through the 1970s.

The building was donated by 10 grandchildren of former farm owners John and Esther Case: David J. Koller, Mary C. Ewald (Koller), Ed Lally, Meg Koller Murphy, Robert and Marjorie Koller and family, Julie Lally, Bernadette Koller Payne, Eileen Lally, Heather Lally Stockley, and Nicole Lally Champion and family.

"(Our grandparents) helped transform the dairy industry and the hybrid seed industry," Robert Koller said. "Naperville has some of the best farm land in the state, but the key to the success of our grandparents in the agricultural industry was due to their grit, honesty and early adoption of new technology."

This new addition further serves the 19th-century living history museum's mission and current initiative to collect and interpret the community's agricultural history. Maple Knoll Farm and Case Dairy Farm were important dairy producers and historically significant as the first farm to pasteurize its own milk on site.

The building is an important beacon of Naperville's dairy production era, when cows outnumbered people for 50 years.

The Milk House will be adjacent the Halfway House on the southwest side of Naper Settlement's campus at 523 S. Webster St.

Its location will complement the proposed Agricultural Interpretive Center, a capital project by the Naperville Heritage Society designed to showcase the region's rich agricultural history, and the future of farming in the area through interactive exhibits and STEM-based learning.

Fundraising efforts for the Agricultural Interpretive Center are ongoing.

"Today was an exciting milestone for the Naperville Heritage Society and Naper Settlement," said Rena Tamayo-Calabrese, Naper Settlement president and CEO.

"The addition of the Milk House to our museum's campus, in conjunction with the Smokehouse and Halfway House, adds one more layer to the history of Naperville's farming community told at Naper Settlement. Their horizons became our frontiers, and through additions to our campus like the Milk House and Agricultural Interpretive Center, we look to them to inspire a new generation of agricultural trailblazers in the community."

The Milk House will be part of the museum experience during the summer season that begins April 1.

For details, visit www.napersettlement.org or call (630) 420-6010.