Status

This project was completed November 2023. 

Project Background

The District hired architectural and engineering consultants to prepare construction plans according to the treatment strategy in 2021.

Construction began in July 2022 and is expected to be done by summer 2023.

Designed by renowned Chicago architect Benjamin H. Marshal, the Tudor Revival style Mayslake Hall in Oak Brook is on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the last remaining examples of the country estates that dotted DuPage County between 1880 and 1924. In 1926, the estate was sold to the Franciscan Province of the Sacred Heart, who operated the estate as a retreat house, adding a retreat wing and chapel to the west side of the mansion. The District acquired the estate from the Franciscans in 1993.

The mansion is nearly 100 years old, and many of the original materials used in its construction are in need of repair or replacement. In 2020, the District hired an architectural consultant to perform a comprehensive assessment of the building envelope to identify structural issues and material deficiencies, which contributed to water damage and other threats to the historic mansion.

Based on the results of that assessment, a proposed treatment strategy was developed to address major issues with the building’s exterior, including improvements to the roofing systems, wood and stucco façades, brick and limestone masonry, foundation, surrounding site drainage, and accessibility.

Funding

The $6.4 million project is funded by a recent bond issuance, as well as a $750,000 grant from the Public Museum Capital Grants Program, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois State Museum.

The project cost includes architectural design, civil engineering, permitting, and construction.