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Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Welcome to Naper Settlement.
Where looking back is looking forward.
Naper Settlement is an award-winning, outdoor history museum offering visitors 13 acres of educational programs, exhibits, guided tours, and special events. Whether watching the blacksmith at the forge or sitting down for a lesson in our one-room schoolhouse, visitors are immersed in history as they learn about the past and how it relates to the present. Explore our interactive exhibits including the newly reimagined Building Naperville: Tallgrass Prairie to Today. On view through December 2024, celebrate the Naperville Fire Department’s 150th anniversary with a look back at the department’s history in a thought-provoking new exhibit, A Strong Back and A Strong Mind.
Images
Martin Mitchell Mansion
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Museum Overview
Naper Settlement is an award-winning, outdoor history museum offering visitors 13 acres of educational programs, exhibits, guided tours, and special events. Whether watching the blacksmith at the forge or sitting down for a lesson in our one-room schoolhouse, visitors are immersed in history as they learn about the past and how it relates to the present in our 34 historic structures. The museum features several interactive exhibits including the newly reimagined Building Naperville: Tallgrass Prairie to Today which engages visitors with local stories and artifacts from the town’s past and connects them to our nation's history.
Establishment
Established in 1969, Naper Settlement, through a management agreement with the City of Naperville, operates under the direction and governance of the Naperville Heritage Society, whose mission is to “document, preserve and interpret the community life of Naperville, Illinois, including, but not limited to the social, political and business history."
Caroline Martin Mitchell's Gift to Naperville
Caroline Martin Mitchell lived her life with conviction and was determined to make a difference in the community. As the last surviving heir to the Martin family, upon her death in 1936, Caroline bequeathed her home and land to the City of Naperville through a perpetual charitable trust. She ensured that her land would be an ever-evolving legacy to the Martin family by securing her home as a museum, her orchards as a place to gather her community, and by dedicating the remaining acreage to the public good. Today, Caroline’s vision is still being realized, and her 212 acres play a central role in shaping Naperville. Her home and orchards are now Naper Settlement, a 13-acre, nationally accredited outdoor history museum that connects visitors to the past while inspiring them to see their role in the community’s future – just as Caroline did nearly a century ago. Through award-winning exhibits, events, and educational programs, the museum fulfills its vision of a permanent, public institution that celebrates Naperville’s proud history and its promising future. Caroline’s remaining land has shaped Naperville into a thriving epicenter of growth and progress with a variety of community assets including Naperville Central High School, Rotary Hill, Knoch Park, the Naperville Garden Plots, Von Oven Scout Reservation, Sportsman’s Park, Edwards Hospital, Naperville Cemetery, and more.
To learn more about Caroline Martin Mitchell's gift, visitors can tour her family's home at Naper Settlement.
Original Buildings
Naper Settlement is located on 13 acres that were originally part of the George Martin estate. There were pine trees original to the site; hence, the mansion and grounds were originally called "Pine Craig." The site's two original buildings are an 1883 mansion and a carriage house, which underwent a complete restoration from 2000-2003. All other historic buildings were moved to the museum campus from various locations throughout Naperville and Illinois.
Future Plans
Through the vision of Naperville residents such as Caroline Martin Mitchell and the Naperville Heritage Society, Naper Settlement has continued to thrive and grow. Through the museum's Never Settle Capital Campaign, Naper Settlement has brought new learning opportunities to its visitors through the Birck Family Innovation Gateway, Mary and Richard Benck Family Agriculture Center, and the Herman & Anna Hageman Memorial Thresher Hall.
Sources
“Naper Settlement.” Naper Settlement - Official Website | Official Website, 2024. https://www.napersettlement.org/.