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On December 7th, 2008 the
Elmhurst Park District hosted a grand re-opening gala and public open house
to celebrate the renovation of this 1868 structure, which served as the
city’s library from 1922 to 2003. The celebration came just three years
after the then-vacant structure had landed on Landmarks Illinois 2006-07 “Chicagoland
Watch List.”
After the public library vacated the Civil War-era mansion for a new
building, Wilder was abandoned for three years, despite stated plans to
transfer it to the city’s park district for upgrades and to be used as a
multi-use facility. After the building was transferred to the park district,
park district officials were non-committal and city officials discussed
demolition as an option. Residents rallied park district officials to keep
the building and renovate it for public use, as had been overwhelmingly
supported in previous public input meetings. Listing on the Chicagoland
Watch List brought additional public pressure on park district officials to
proceed with the wishes of the community. The renovated building, which will
be operated by the Park District, will now be used for rentals and special
events. “The placement of the mansion on the Watch List,” noted local
advocate Paula Pezza, “helped convince city officials that we could not
throw away this glorious building, which has been a beloved local landmark
for generations.”
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