• The Village that Volunteers Built

The Martin Mitchell Mansion first served as Naperville's eclectic history museum in 1939. Thirty years later it became the cornerstone of the 13-acre historic village now known as Naper Settlement. The Naperville Heritage Society selected the establishment of a museum village as an appropriate vehicle for incorporating the public preservation and educational objectives of its mission.

Relocating 18 endangered historical structures and reconstructing several more buildings on a municipally-owned site in the center of town has been successfully undertaken by the not-for-profit local historical organization since its inception in 1969. A following of more than 1,200 members has grown from the initial 12 people who gathered together in order to save historical buildings, objects and materials. This community core, complemented and directed by a professional staff, diligently works to preserve important aspects of Naperville's past.

Volunteers first faced the task of relocating an 1864 Gothic Revival Church, which was slated for commercial development. Raising over $20,000 and an equal amount of in-kind services in six weeks was successfully undertaken by the fledgling organization. Immediately upon completion of the restoration, the Society began conducting tours and holding concerts and programs in keeping with its mission to educate the public to things historic. Community response was strong -- strong enough to warrant establishing a firm agreement with the City of Naperville to develop a full museum village.

Professional planning consultants were hired jointly by the City and Heritage Society to create a master site plan for Naper Settlement. As operations and development progressed, the City agreed to levy tax support for the museum and entered into a contract with the Heritage Society for continued development and administration of the entire complex.

Understanding the full impact of this expanded responsibility, in 1979, the Society hired a curator/director as its first professional staff member, now the Executive Director. The museum began practicing nationally accepted standards of operations, as activities and resultant public usage have progressively accelerated over the past decade in curatorial, educational and restoration areas.

In 2002, Naper Settlement was awarded accreditation by the American Association of Museums. Accreditation certifies that a museum operates according to the highest standards of excellence set forth by the museum profession, manages its collections responsibly, and provides quality service to the public. Of the nearly 8,500 museums nationwide, only 770 are accredited, and of those, Naper Settlement is the first outdoor museum accredited in Illinois.

In a village setting of restored and recreated structures housing period-appropriate collections, a bygone era comes to life through cultural, recreational and educational programs depicting the life and customs from Naperville's founding in 1831 to the 20th century. The Settlement's tranquil atmosphere provides a visual and personal experience, offering a contrast with the major urbanization and suburbanization rapidly engulfing the area.