Resources
Preservation Resources
Below is a list of some historic preservation resources.
Naperville Preservation Inc Recommendations
Financial Incentives: A list of financial incentives that may be available towards a preservation project
"Get Your House Right" by Marianne Cusato & Ben Pentreath: An excellent resource for understanding traditional residential design
HPC 101: Our webinar with the Naperville's Historic Preservation Commission liaison.
Historic Preservation - Historic Districts: A video by preservationist and urban planner Christine Dalton.
Preservation at the Local Level: Our webinar with Lisa DiChiera, Director of Advocacy for Landmarks Illinois discussing Historic preservation victories and losses in Illinois; the most endangered historic places in our state right now; potential tax and economic benefits; and resources for homeowners.
BEAM Estimator: A tool for builders that estimates the carbon footprint of based on building materials. This tool, developed by Builders for Climate Action has a nice a TreeHugger review.
City of Naperville Resources
Naperville's Historic Building Design and Resource Manual: This PDF file is the go-to guide for appropriateness of maintenance and revision of Naperville's historic structures. It is also a wonderful primer on architecture and our local heritage.
Naperville's Historic District and Landmarks: This page describes what it means for a building to be part of the Historic District or be a landmark. There are also wonderful information on the buildings on each street of the historic district and the landmarks.
Naperville's Historic Preservation Commission: Members of this commission are community volunteers who serve to review and make recommendations regarding landmarks and buildings in the Historic District.
Researching a Naperville Property
Naper Settlement's Curator of History: Andrea Field
Books: (available for use at Naper Settlement and perhaps at Naperville Library)
Nearby History: Exploring the Past Around You by David Kyvig, Myron A. Marty, and Larry Cebula
Discovering the History of Your House and Neighborhood by Betsy J. Green
Houses and Homes: Exploring Their History by Barbara Howe et al.
Illinois State Library
Landmarks Illinois: Landmarks Illinois is the premiere not-for-profit for all matters historic preservation in Illinois. Please be sure to check out their resources and events. Their Illinois Restoration Resource Directory is particularly useful.
State of Illinois Historic Preservation Division: As a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, this site has wonderful resources on places to visit, state preservation laws, and financial incentives for preservation.
Preservation Exploration
Below are some resources to help explore Naperville's historic places.
Naperville Preservation Virtual Tours
Cool Mid-Century Home: Get the inside tour of this cool mid-century house in Naperville’s East Highlands subdivision.
Kreger's Brat & Sausage Haus: Learn how this corner grocery store in bygone years came to be Naperville’s favorite sausage shop.
Old Main: A tour of North Central College’s Old Main, one of Naperville’s finest buildings.
Carillon Visitor Center: A tour of a repurposed midcentury modern home built by Bud Goetsch in 1948
The Greene Barn: A tour of The Greene Barn with Mary Lou Wehrli.
Willard Scott House: A tour a red brick Italianate built in 1867.
Naperville Heritage Society Historic Walking Tours from the Naperville Convention and Visitors Bureau
Maps From Naperville's Open Data Sets Of Historic Places
Naperville Heritage Collection at the Illinois Digital Archives: Of particular interest is "Footsteps through old Naperville : four self-guided historic tours".
Historic Preservation within Naperville's Forest Preserves
Greene Barn: The work and recommendations by the Ad Hoc Committee to find a public use for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Greene Barn.
Hobson Grist Mill: Photos and links from the Library of Congress about the monument of millstones now apart of Pioneer Park in the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.
Riverview Farmstead: The cultural heritage of the Clow Family farmhouse and barn that is now apart of the Forest Preserve District of Will County.