DuPage County Historical Museum gets $750,000 grant for masonry and gutter repairs on 131-year-old building

The Wheaton Park District recently was awarded a $750,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to pursue a project aimed at stabilizing the masonry and rebuilding the gutters of the DuPage County Historical Museum building.

The historic 1891 building, located at 102 E. Wesley St. in Wheaton, originally housed the Adams Memorial Library.

It currently houses historical exhibits, artifacts and archives that help tell the story of the county's history.

The museum is operated as a facility of the Wheaton Park District and is owned by the County of DuPage.

The grant will be issued through the IDNR's Museum Capital Grant Program.

"The quality of your plans to enhance museum opportunities for Illinois' citizens is recognized by your selection in this year's very competitive selection process," Gary K. Eicken, Chief of the IDNR's Office of Grant Management Assistance, wrote in a letter to Wheaton Park District Executive Director Michael Benard. "Congratulations on being a successful applicant and thank you for your dedicated efforts to improve cultural and educational opportunities in Illinois."

"The much-needed building repairs to the DuPage County Historical Museum, enabled by this generous grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, will allow county residents and visitors to continue benefiting greatly from the Museum's exemplary programs and exhibits for years to come," said Mike Benard, executive director of the Wheaton Park District.

The Wheaton Park District would like to thank the community and all of those whom were instrumental in helping to secure this grant funding, especially Judy Beaver, president of the Wheaton chapter of the League of Women Voters; David Thiel, president of the DuPage County Historical Museum Foundation; Vickie Austin, president of the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce; Becky Adamowski, director of the Wheaton Public Library, and Nancy Flannery of the Wheaton Historic Commission.

For more information, please contact Margie Wilhelmi at mwilhelmi@wheatonparks.org.

Visit dupagemuseum.org or www.facebook/dupagemuseum.