Photograph courtesy of the
Naperville Heritage Society
 

When Caroline Martin Mitchell bequeathed her Victorian home and surrounding 212 acres to the City of Naperville in 1936, she had two stipulations: that her home would remain a museum in perpetuity and that the land would be used for the public good. Today, the elegant Victorian home, built in 1883, is an integral part of Naper Settlement, a 13-acre historic museum village.

Caroline was the youngest daughter of George and Sibelia Martin, who were both Scottish immigrants. All the Martin children, including Caroline, Elizabeth (Lizzie) and Catherine (Kittie) were well-educated and after their father died in 1889, the three daughters and their mother continued the business partnership with Ernst Von Oven to run the brick and tile manufacturing business that the two men had founded.

Photograph courtesy of the
Naperville Heritage Society

 

Photograph courtesy of the
Naperville Heritage Society
 

In 2000, the Martin Mitchell Mansion was starting to show its age after receiving thousands of visitors throughout the years. A three-year, $2.8 million restoration spearheaded by Debbie Grinnell, Naper SettlementÕs Director of Preservation Services, brought back the structure to its original Victorian splendor.

Naper Settlement is administered by the Naperville Heritage Society, which was organized in 1969 by Jane Sindt, a Naperville resident who was concerned about preserving the townÕs historic buildings. The Heritage SocietyÕs rallying point was the Civil War-era St. JohnÕs Episcopal Church, which was in danger of being torn down. The group raised enough money to save the church and move it to land adjacent to the Martin Mitchell Mansion. The church, now called Century Memorial Chapel, was the first significant building to be moved to the Settlement and signaled the start of Naper Settlement, which now has 30 historic structures.

Since 1979, Executive Director Peggy Frank has been at the helm of the museum and the Heritage Society, which advocates the vision of ÒConnecting people with the past, enriching today and preserving for tomorrow.Ó 

Photograph courtesy of the
Naperville Heritage Society

Public Hours:

April 1-Oct. 31

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

1 to 4 p.m. Sunday

Admission fee applies.

Nov. 1-March 31

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday

Admission fee applies and includes an audio tour.

For a complete listing of special events, programs, classes and resources, please visit www.napersettlement.museum.

To see events at Naper Settlement  visit our Events page. 
Be sure to visit the Naper Settlement website at: www.napersettlement.museum

To see previous sites featured, please visit:

Thank you for visiting!