Sheldon Peck Homestead
Introduction
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Sheldon Peck Homestead
Sheldon Peck Homestead
Backstory and Context
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Constructed in 1839, making it the oldest house in Lombard, Illinois, the Sheldon Peck Homestead is now a historic house museum. It has been dedicated by The Village of Lombard as a local landmark. It offers education programs, living history, exhibits, and outreach programs. The Peck family owned the house from 1839 to the mid-1990s. During this time is when it became a museum.
Sheldon Peck was born August 26, 1797. He was married to Harriet Corey, who produced cheese for the local market. They had ten children together. Sheldon was nationally recognized as a primitive folk art painter. He was an advocate for public education and his home was the site of the first public school in the area. He was also a well-known advocate of anti-slavery. He died in 1868 of pneumonia.
The Sheldon Peck Homestead was put into the Network to Freedom in August of 2011. This is a list of verified Underground Railroad locations. They kept as many as seven slaves in the house at one time. The locations where they were kept are unknown. They risked fines and imprisonment. The Underground Railroad ended with the passage of the 13th Amendment after the Civil War.