Preservation Month Events

The Wheaton Historic Commission organizes events celebrating Wheaton's history during Preservation Month in May. 

Home History Exhibit

Dates: May 1 - 31
Location: Wheaton Public Library: 225 N Cross Street

Presented by the City of Wheaton Historic Commission and the Wheaton Public Library, the Home History Exhibit will feature Historic Wheaton Landmarks in the Library's Arts & Culture Center. Stop by to enjoy the photos and to learn more about home history research and the Wheaton Historic Register of Historic Places.

Prophet Without (Much) Honor: The Wheaton-Area, Classically Influenced Architecture of Jarvis Hunt

Date: Thursday, May 2 at 7 p.m.
Location: Wheaton Public Library, 225 N Cross Street

Click here to watch video of presentation

Wheaton architectural historian Bob Goldsborough presents a look at the Wheaton-area work of Vermont-born architect Jarvis Hunt, who came to Chicago to work at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and stayed to build a thriving architectural practice in the Loop. While Hunt, who was the nephew of architect Richard Morris Hunt, designed notable structures from California to Maine and from Minnesota to Texas, he had a special affinity for Wheaton, where he designed and built a summer home that he owned for more than 35 years. Goldsborough takes a close look at the factors behind Hunt's Wheaton-area designs, which include the Chicago Golf Club's clubhouse and homes encircling the club, along with homes on the site of the Morton Arboretum and St. James Farm. This event is free and open to the public, although registration is required at the library’s events page: https://www.wheatonlibrary.org/events/calendar.

Home History Research 

Date: Saturday, May 4 from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. & Monday, May 6 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: Wheaton Public Library: 225 N Cross Street

Learn how to research the history of your home with one-on-one instruction. This event is free and open to the public. Reservations for appointments are being taken at 630-868-7520 or email: askref@wheatonlibrary.org.

DuPage County Historical Museum Architectural Walking Tour  

Date: Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. - Noon
Location: DuPage County Historical Museum: 102 E Wesley Street

This walking tour through historic Downtown Wheaton hosted by the DCHM, asks "Who were the men who shaped downtown Wheaton?" Learn about local buildings, the architects that designed them and the men who commissioned them. Tour covers 1.5 miles including Memorial Park, Adam’s Park, City Hall, Front Street, and Trinity Episcopal Church. Children’s tour includes scavenger hunt element. Members must call 630-510-4941 for a discounted ticket. Location: Meets at Museum Front Steps. Fee: $6 per adult; $4 per child. To register, call 630-510-4941 or visit http://dupagemuseum.org/calendar

Pride in Preservation Signs 

Dates: Saturday, May 11 - Monday, May 19
Location: City of Wheaton

The City of Wheaton Historic Commission will place “Pride in Preservation” purple lawn signs throughout Wheaton at designated Wheaton Historic Landmarks and locations listed on the Wheaton Register of Historic Places. Many of these sites include a plaque with the estimated date of construction or a permanent interpretive sign with more additional information. For an online tour of Wheaton's Landmarks, visit https://wheaton.il.us/293/Wheaton-Register-of-Historic-Places-Prog and click on “Wheaton Register of Historic Places Program.”

Free Parking at Cantigny Park for Wheaton Residents

Dates: May 11 - May 19
Location: Cantigny Park: 1S151 Winfield Road

During Preservation Month, from May 11-19, Cantigny Park will provide free parking days for Wheaton residents. Just show proof of Wheaton residency at the parking booth for admittance. A valid driver’s license is preferred. Museums, gardens and other attractions inside the park are always free admission.

Cantigny Park, part of the Chicago-based Robert R. McCormick Foundations, is the 500-acre estate of Robert R. McCormick (1880-1955), longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. It is home to 30 acres of gardens, the McCormick House, the First Division Museum and a 27-hole golf course. All are open to the public. The Robert R. McCormick Museum was listed on the Wheaton Register of Historic Places in 2011 by the City of Wheaton Historic Commission. For more information on Cantigny Park, please visit www.cantigny.org.

Mid-Century Modern Architecture with Timeless Appeal: The Wheaton Designs of Edward Dart 

Date: Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m.
Location: Wheaton Public Library, 225 N Cross Street

Wheaton architectural historian Bob Goldsborough provides a look at the prolific work of architect Edward Dart, who dotted Wheaton's landscape with more mid-century modern homes than any other architect. Goldsborough traces Dart's origins from his upbringing in New Orleans and his studies at the Yale School of Architecture to Dart's life and work in the Chicago area, with a special emphasis on the homes he designed in Wheaton and surrounding areas. This event is free and open to the public although registration is required at the library’s events page: https://www.wheatonlibrary.org/events/calendar.

Building Up a Sweet Tooth Walking Tour

Date: Saturday, May 18 from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E Wesley Street

Take a sweet trip through history with the DuPage County Historical Museum where you will learn about the buildings and people who have shaped our downtown community. On the tour, you will be able to taste some of the best confectioneries in the area. Destinations include Graham’s Chocolates, Kimmer’s Ice Cream, Kilwins of Wheaton and the Little Popcorn Store. Meet at the DuPage County Historical Museum. Fee: $30 per adult, $15 per child (5 years to under-18 years). To register, call 630-510-4941 or visit http://dupagemuseum.org/calendar.

Architects without Acclaim: The Local and in Some Cases National Work of Andrew N. Rebori, M.E. Bell and Robert H. Salisbury

Date: Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m.
Location: DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E Wesley Street

Architectural historian Bob Goldsborough provides an inside look at three largely unheralded architects, Andrew N. Rebori, M.E. Bell and Robert H. Salisbury, who left their mark on DuPage County. Goldsborough traces the three men’s careers through important national events like the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and explains what brought each to DuPage County and how they came up with the landmark structures they designed. Fee: $3 per adult; children attend free. To register, call 630-510-4941 or visit http://dupagemuseum.org/calendar/. Members call 630-510-4941 for free ticket.

Friends of Pioneer Cemeteries Memorial Day Event 

Date: Saturday, May 25 at 11 a.m.
Location: Jewel Grove Cemetery: 1400 Champion Forest Court

Join the Friends of Pioneer Cemeteries for a Memorial Day Event at Jewell Grove Cemetery (ca. 1842). Featuring Civil War reenactors, speakers, rifle squad, taps, canon, the ringing of historic (ca. 1852) St. Stephen Bell

Independence & Patriotic Day

Date: Saturday, June 29 at 11 a.m.
Location: Pleasant Hill Cemetery : Geneva Road & Coventry Drive (West of Gary Avenue)

Join the Friends of Pioneer Cemeteries for Patriotic Day at Pleasant Hill Cemetery (ca. 1845). Featuring the Aurora, Illinois American Legion Band tunes, raising of the flag, speakers, Civil War brigade, canon, and the ringing of historic St. Stephen Bell (ca. 1852).

Family Remembrance Day

Date: Saturday, September 7 at 11 a.m.
Location: Saint Stephen Cemetery: St. Charles Road in Carol Street

Join the Friends of Pioneer Cemeteries for Family Remembrance Day at Saint Stephen Cemetery (ca. 1852). Featuring speakers, Mass with Father John Sullivan, retired, tour of prairie, tour of 105 rededicated tombstones, Virgin Mary statue secured from torn-down St. Loretto Convent, and ringing of historic St. Stephen Bell (ca. 1852).