Surrounded by a prairie and forest, the Durant House Museum sits peacefully at LeRoy Oaks Forest Preserve in St. Charles, Ill.
Durant Family
Bryant Durant first moved from Massachusetts to Northern Illinois in 1837.
According to the St. Charles Public Library, Durant and his brother James bought, and eventually divided, farmland west of St. Charles. After the land was split with his brother, Durant still owned 200 acres of the property which is now LeRoy Oaks Forest Preserve.
As a bricklayer, Durant built the historic house in 1843.
After Durant married Jerusha Shurtleff, they had six kids together. They were all born and raised in the Northern Illinois home.
Peterson Family
In the 1880s, the Durant house was bought by Godfrey and Christina Peterson.
They added a modern kitchen to the home. It can be seen as the white addition to the original brick exterior.
Museum
The Durant House was eventually given to the Kane County Forest Preserve and restored in the 1970s.
It is now run by the Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley as a museum and remains where it was originally built.
Visiting and Programs
The Durant House Museum is open Thursdays (June-August) and Sundays (June-September) from 1-4 p.m.
Various programs are also offered throughout the year for you to explore and learn about the historic building. Listed below are 2019 events that were provided by Alice Maupin, the director of Durant House Museum and Pioneer Sholes School (featured in next blog post):
· Fireside Frolic- Feb. 17 (1-4 p.m.)
· Maple Sampler- March 2-3 (1-4 p.m.)
· Making Textiles: Men and Women at Work- June 23 (1-4 p.m.)
· Pickling Palooza- July 28 (1-4 p.m.)
· Bread and Butter- Aug. 25 (1-4 p.m.)
· Hearth Cooking and 19th Century Tools- Sept. 15 (1-4 p.m.)
· Heirloom Apple Fest- Sept. 22 (1-4 p.m.)
· Candlelight Weekend- Dec. 7-8 (2-6 p.m.)
A summer camp is also offered for children in third through sixth grade. If you are interested, advanced registration is required. The camp is Aug. 5-8 from 9-11:30 a.m.
School visits can also be arranged. Typically, a class is split into two groups for a full tour of the house.
Staff and Volunteers
Maupin hopes that visitors of the Durant House Museum will learn what life was like back in the 1840s and how hard people had to work just to survive.
“I think it [Durant House] gives us an appreciation for what we have today, to see how they had to survive,” said Deanna Banner, a volunteer docent at Durant House and Sholes School.
Banner also said when visitors come to historic buildings, like the Durant House, it can give them a first-hand feel of what it was like to live back then, rather than just reading or watching about it.
“It’s so important that we keep history alive to know where we came from,” said Maupin.
Recreation
Because the Durant House is located in LeRoy Oaks Forest Preserve, it is surrounded by a prairie and a forest with paths for hiking. Ferson Creek also runs through the property.
Creek Bend Nature Center as well as two old-red barns, popular for photography sessions, are also part of the forest preserve.
Pioneer Sholes School is just down the path.
All of these areas are within walking distance from the Durant House Museum.
More Information
Please follow the links in the text for more information on the Durant House Museum and opportunities for visiting.
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