Now the 1846 Blodgett House structure has been moved, preserved
and gifted to the Park District, our attention turns to the culltural heritage it embodies.
Click here to read our vision and approach to telling this story.
Museum staff members are now developing plans for exhibits, educational programs and tours.
An appropriate
distribution of emphasis between four primary subject areas for
exhibits and programing has been suggeted to be as follows:
35% Underground Railroad
25% House Architecture,
Construction & Preservation
25% Early
Blodgett Family Life
15% Seasonal and Special
Programs
The first opportunity to visit inside the newly
renovated 1846 Blodgett House was on Saturday December 14, 2019. The
Merry and
Bright event at the Downers Grove Museum then featured
public tours inside the pioneer home as described on the Park District's website.
Regular monthly tours are now being offered at the
Blodgett's pioneer house. Please sign up for your tour in advance on the Park
District's registration page.
Additional funds received during 2019 allowed
completion of interior construction work so the house can now be opened
for public visits.
In June 2014 the Park District was notified that
it received a state
museum grant of $135,500 for help with interior restoration and
interpretative exhibits. This grant was
released in 2019 after having been suspended for four years due
to state
budget problems.
In 2016, Lovejoy, Inc., a Timken brand, opened
their world headquarters on Wisconsin Ave. and became a member of the
Downers Grove community.
In October 2018 Park District received $50,000
from the Timken
Foundation to support work on the 1846 Blodgett House. This award
was
presented by Mat Happach of Lovejoy, Inc.
