Clarendon Hills Historical Society Gets $1,000 Donation for Heritage Hall Project

The following is a release from the Clarendon Hills Historical Society:

The Clarendon Hills Historical Society has received a $1,000 donation for the Heritage Hall Project. 

The society is fundraising to complete Phase 1 of the renovation of the old water pumping station into a museum, archives and meeting space for the community at Ann and Sheridan streets. Its goal is to raise $75,000 dollars to complete Phase 1 by September 2013. This would include complete installation of windows and doors, and complete rough construction of the vestibule. Work already completed includes demolition of the interior, a new slab floor, water andsewer, roofing/flashing, and some masonry work completed in 2009 and 2010.

Phase 2 ($103,000) and Phase 3 ($94,000) will include inside finish work, mechanicals, drywall, cabinets, flooring, painting and exterior site work and paving.

"To get this Phase 1 work completed would be a big boost toward the completion of the project," Clarendon Hills Historical Society President Diane Hiller said. "We need $75,000 dollars to complete Phase 1. Then we will have the building envelope and footprint complete, including windows and doors.

"I think it’s exciting when you see how far we have come from what it looked like in the beginning. It had a crumbling floor, walls with dials and switches and a very unpleasant smell of fuel from the equipment stored there. We now have a new slab floor, painted walls, new windows in some areas and a new roof. We are hoping some of the finish work could be donated by local builders and contractors to lower our final costs.

"I want people to get excited about this project. We want it to be a very vibrant and active space for the community to use and to exhibit our history in. But, we need to keep moving forward and get it completed."

The $1,000 donation came from Mike Mason and Family in memory of Mike’s parents, Bob and Ruthann Mason, who were longtime residents and volunteers in Clarendon Hills.

Chuck Brand, board member and project manager for Heritage Hall, said, “This is what it’s all about, people in the community, realizing the importance of recording and keeping our past alive by pulling together to get the building completed. That’s the true volunteer spirit our community was founded on.”

A plaque honoring Bob and Ruthann Mason will be displayed at Heritage Hall, along with other donations of $1,000 or more made to the transformation fund.

For more information on how you can donate, or help in any way, or to receive a Heritage Hall Transformation Fund Booklet, which outlines the project, please contact:

Diane Hiller 
President 
Clarendon Hills Historical Society 
50 Sheridan Avenue 
Clarendon Hills, IL 60514 
Ph. 630-915-5009