Now the
1846 Blodgett House structure has been
moved, preserved and gifted to the Park
District, attention turns to the
cultural 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
suggested 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.
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.