DUPAGE COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM’S NEW ROOF COMPLETE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: April 12, 2016

DuPage County, Ill.—It may be true that a sound building starts with a strong foundation, but it ends with a good roof. Thanks to Mr. Dan Goodwin of the Inland Real Estate Group, DuPage County, and more, the DuPage County Historical Museum now has both; its brand-new red shingle roof was completed in March, to the delight of staff and the public.

“The Adams Memorial Building looks great with the restored red roof,” said Michelle Podkowa, Museum Manager and Educator. “The roof highlights the trim of the windows, the copper trim and downspouts, and the beautiful limestone.”

The Museum’s strong foundation, as it were, was its first incarnation as the Adams Memorial Building. Erected in 1891 by John Quincy Adams—fourth cousin, twice-removed of the sixth President—for the town of Wheaton in memoriam of his late wife, the structure housed the Adams Memorial Library for over fifty years.

Then the library moved into its new building on Cross Street, and the DuPage County Historical Society moved into 102 E. Wesley Street.

The Museum was founded in 1965 and opened to the public in 1967, after collections were cataloged and exhibits arranged. Its first holdings included artifacts gathered since the Historical Society’s founding in 1929. The Historical Society then sold the Museum to the County, but continued to partner with the Museum throughout the years.

In 2008, an intergovernmental agreement between DuPage County, which owns the Museum, and the Wheaton Park District, which staffs it, kept the Museum from closing its doors.

“This building has meant so much to so many, and I am happy a new generation will grow up experiencing everything the building has to offer, from its amazing architecture to its rich history,” Podkowa said.

That new generation has several to thank: DuPage County, the DuPage County Historical Museum Guild, the DuPage County Historical Museum Foundation, the Wheaton Park District, the roofers, and Mr. Dan Goodwin.

Mr. Goodwin, founder and CEO of Inland Real Estate Group, one of the nation’s largest commercial real estate and finance firms, noticed the water damage allowed by the old roof during a tour in 2014 and learned of the Museum’s decades-long efforts to replace it.

“I was reading a Museum document from the 1990s discussing restoration plans and a sign requested that visitors imagine the roof matching the freshly painted red trim around the newly restored windows,” said Podkowa. “It occurred to me that this project, though long for us, was much longer than we realized.”

Plans to repair the roof had seemed to get a big boost early in 2014, when the state of Illinois awarded a $608,000 grant for that purpose. But due to ongoing state budget issues, the check never arrived, leaving officials struggling to raise new funds and forcing Museum staff to improvise.

Mr. Goodwin suggested using shingles instead of slate tiles, which significantly reduced costs. But without the grant, the project couldn’t proceed. So on October 13, during the DuPage County Board’s monthly meeting, Mr. Goodwin formally donated $200,000 to the new roof through his company’s charitable wing.

“I believe in public-private partnerships,” he said at the time. “I believe that we in business must do our share to help the county.”

DuPage County agreed to cover the remainder of the $450,000 renovation, to which the DuPage County Historical Museum Guild also donated $5,000.

Construction started late November last year and ended in March.

Podkowa is excited for how the finished roof might alter one’s impression of the area.

“On sunny days, the red adds an extra pop of color to the downtown Wheaton skyline,” she said. “I cannot wait to see the building during the summer.”

So far, guests are happy with the improvements.

“Several visitors have mentioned the color accenting the building well,” Podkowa said.

Indeed, architect Charles Sumner Frost—whose most famous work, Navy Pier, still graces the Lake Michigan shoreline—always intended the building to have a red slate roof.

Slate tiles were a common choice at the time of the building’s design, as they are usually the most durable roofing material, capable of lasting 100 years or more.

Though they’re not slate, the new red shingles are expected to last a lifetime and will better protect the artifacts beneath them.

“A vision from the Museum staff in the 1990s, of plans created 20 years ago, has come to fruition,” Podkowa said. “From that standpoint, it makes me feel extremely happy for the Museum, the community, and all those involved over the last 20 years.”

To view pictures of the Museum’s new roof, visit https://bit.ly/1PYLS01, and to learn more about the DuPage County Historical Museum, visit dupagemuseum.org or call 630.510.4941. Guests are invited to see the new roof in person at 102 E. Wesley St., Wheaton.