Around Town

Hinsdale Historical Society

15 S. Clay Street, Hinsdale 630-789-2600 hinsdalehistory.org

Incorporated in 1975, the Hinsdale Historical Society bridges the past, present, and future by engaging the community with its architecture and history. Serving as the repository for Hinsdale’s rich history, the Society collects and preserves archival material and artifacts for research and exhibition. As a nonprofit supported entirely by memberships, donations, and fundraising, the Society maintains three historic properties, offers a variety of educational programs, and collaborates with the community to instill pride in Hinsdale’s heritage.

The Hinsdale History Museum (15 S. Clay Street), constructed in 1874, depicts the life of a middle-class family during the Village’s early years prior to 1900. Donated by School District 181, the house was relocated to Eleanor’s Park in 1981. Through private fundraising and volunteer efforts, a full restoration resulted in seven period rooms filled with authentic antiques and features small exhibits, a program space, and a gift shop. The Hinsdale Garden Study Club lovingly tends the beautiful Victorian garden. Visitors can tour on Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 4:00 p.m., with group tours available by appointment. Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated.

Immanuel Hall (302 S. Grant Street), built in 1900 as a church and saved from demolition in 1999, is home to the Society’s local history archives and the Roger and Ruth Anderson Architecture Center. It’s open for research on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Hall is also available for use by the public for community meetings, nonprofit events, public seminars, and musical recitals.

In 2005, the Society saved the Cotswold-style cottage designed for his family by Hinsdale architect R. Harold Zook. The home and studio were moved to Katherine Legge Memorial Park next to the Zook-designed Lodge. Although currently in the process of rehabilitation, the buildings’ unique architectural style can still be enjoyed within the historic park setting.

For those wanting to explore Hinsdale’s neighborhoods, the Society, in partnership with Hinsdale’s Historic Preservation Commission, offers a tours app: HistoricalTourist: Hinsdale. Like having a private tour guide in the palm of your hand, the tours featured highlight and detail the local architecture and stories of Hinsdale’s past. It’s free to download for both Apple and Android devices.

The annual “Hinsdale Cooks! Kitchen Walk,” organized by the Society’s dedicated Women’s Board, has become a local not-to-be-missed experience. Held the Friday before Mother’s Day, hundreds of people tour exclusively selected homes to view uniquely designed kitchens, sample fabulous vendors, and enjoy Hinsdale’s hometown charm.

Graue Mill & Museum Frederick Graue House

3800 S. York Road, Oak Brook 630-920-9720 grauemill.org

GRAUE MILL

Located off York Road, one half mile north of Ogden Avenue, is the only operating water-wheel gristmill in the greater Chicago area. Fred Graue built the mill in 1852 to serve the surrounding countryside of Brush Hill (Hinsdale), and it served the community until the turn-of-the-century when modern milling methods rendered the old mill obsolete.

Graue Mill and Museum is a nonprofit volunteer organization supported entirely by admissions, memberships, and donations. The buildings and grounds are owned and maintained by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.

Today, thousands of visitors annually view the basic milling process, explained by a miller in a white apron, and purchase fresh stone-ground cornmeal in old-fashioned cloth bags. After browsing the museum store on the ground floor, they may also stroll the museum’s upper stories, which contain an old-fashioned barn, nostalgic child’s room, Victorian drawing room, early American kitchen and sitting room, and an old country store complete with genuine rock candy and high-button shows.

In the basement, said to have been an Underground Railway station, visitors can view the large and fascinating wooden gearwheels. Spinning and weaving demonstrations are held daily, and artisans and events are regularly held on weekends when the mill is open.

SEASON: Mid-April to mid-November Tuesdays through Sundays. Closed Mondays, except Monday holidays.

Admission:

Adults ............. $5

Seniors ............ $4

Children ........... $2

Groups of 20 or more require a reservation; call 630-655-2090.

FREDERICK GRAUE HOUSE

The Frederick Graue House, built in 1859, stands next to Graue Mill. Restored and opened to the public in 2002, the house is a fine example of Italianate architecture. The interior of the house has been converted into a multi-use facility and is used for special programs and exhibits by Graue Mill.

The house is also available for rental for weddings, showers, birthday and anniversary parties, and meetings. Occupancy of the house is limited to seventy people, but the surrounding grounds are also available for rental. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County owns and maintains the Frederick Graue House, Graue Mill, and the surrounding grounds.

Hinsdale Public Library

20 E. Maple Street, Hinsdale 630-986-1976 hinsdalelibrary.info

A GATHERING PLACE

The Hinsdale Public Library is a comfortable and inviting place to visit. Located right next to the Village Hall, north of Burlington Park, the library is open:

Monday-Thursday ... 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Friday .............. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday ........... 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday ............ noon - 6 p.m.

The library offers free study rooms and meeting rooms, a spacious Quiet Reading Room, an interactive children’s area, and plenty of comfortable seating for reading or working. The library also houses a fine art collection, featuring the work of prominent Illinois artists.

DISTINCTIVE COLLECTIONS & PROGRAMS

The library enriches the lives of Hinsdale residents with excellent collections and programs. As part of the SWAN library consortium, Hinsdale Public Library patrons can easily request items from a catalog boasting eight million items.

The library meets virtual demand with a collection of nearly 300,000 eBooks, and music and movies to download or stream. Patrons interact with staff online, too—through the library’s website, text-a-librarian service, and popular Facebook and Twitter accounts. Last year, more than 10,000 people came to library programs including story time, film screenings, lectures, technology classes, and special “After Dark” events.

SERVICES

Service desks are staffed by knowledgeable professionals, offering prompt assistance using the latest resources. Last year, librarians answered over 40,000 reference questions. Other services include:

» Reading recommendations for all ages » Expert-led discussions or presentations for your club or organization » One-on-one technology instruction » Mac and PC computers » Free, reliable wi-fi » Copying, faxing, scanning » Wireless printing » Free access to full-text magazine and newspaper articles » Doorstep Delivery » Volunteer opportunities for all ages » 3-D Printing Classes » Digital Media Lab that includes software and hardware for video conversion and editing

HCS Family Services

19 E. Chicago Avenue Hinsdale 630-323-2500 hcsfamilyservices.org

Since 1937, HCS Family Services has been a beacon of compassion and support for people living on the margins in the near Western Suburbs of Chicago. DuPage County has the second largest hungry population in the State of Illinois, and one in six children in Northern Illinois face hunger.

At the end of the Great Depression, Hinsdale community leaders founded HCS Family Services to provide food and utility assistance to the local community. Today, HCS continues to live by its founders’ vision of helping neighbors in need.

HCS operates two food pantries that provide free groceries in a “client choice” model to residents of 24 neighboring communities. Last year, HCS Family Services distributed more than 600,000 pounds of food with a retail value of $1.2 million. By providing food at no cost, clients have extra disposable income to spend on critical expenses, such as medical, rent, transportation, and childcare. HCS provides healthy food options (including fresh produce, milk, and eggs) as well as many essential household items (diapers, paper products, and toiletries) to guests.

HCS operates a community pantry, located in Hinsdale’s Memorial Building, and a second pantry at the Anne M. Jeans Elementary School in Willowbrook that serves the families of Willowbrook Corners. HCS Family Services serves approximately 500 neighbors each week; makes more than 22,000 food distributions to families, children, and seniors annually; and serves more than 1,000 local families representing approximately 4,000 individuals each year.

HCS purchases about 20 percent of its food through the efficient Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) system in which every $1 donation buys the equivalent of $8 in a local grocery store. More than 70 percent of distributed food is rescued from local grocery stores (more than 400,000 pounds of food that would otherwise go to waste annually). The remaining 10 percent of HCS food supplies come from generous community donations.

HCS could not operate without its extended network of community partners. Approximately 400 community volunteers work at HCS each year as shopping assistants, delivery truck drivers, stockers, and greeters. HCS fills about 85 volunteer opportunities each week.

HCS Family Services food pantries also serve as a gateway to other social services. HCS is an authorized distribution site for the Salvation Army Emergency Assistance Program; refers clients to a range of other services for housing, rent and utility, mental health, and furnishing assistance; distributes Thanksgiving meals to guests; and last year, organized the distribution of December holiday gifts to 850 children and seniors. The YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago also offers free counseling and case management services to HCS guests.

The Robert Crown Center for Health Education

Hinsdale 630-325-1900 robertcrown.org

As a leader and innovator in prevention education, the Robert Crown Center (RCC) has been teaching science-based health programs in elementary and middle schools for 45 years. Its “Strive for 45” campaign is celebrating an anniversary and all proceeds will support RCC’s mission: to positively impact the physical, social, and emotional health of youth through innovative education programs in partnership with parents, schools, and communities.

Every year, RCC educators visit more than 600 schools across 10 northern Illinois counties to ensure that children receive high quality prevention lessons. RCC’s school-based health programs focus on drug and sex education. RCC’s full continuum offers comprehensive, scientifically accurate, and age-appropriate lessons that educate children from 4th – 8th grades. The sex education programs include puberty education (Puberty I and II), Life Begins, and Teen Sexual Health I and II. Science Behind Drugs programs cover the effects of drugs on the adolescent brain and body.

Youth respond to RCC’s interactive and engaging learning and enjoy the social emotional learning, decision-making, and healthy relationship skills. Programs have been updated over the past few years to offer a blended learning format (e-learning combined with inperson programming). RCC also helps communities facing emerging health issues such as consent, vaping, and the legalization of marijuana.

RCC has educated more than six million students across the Chicago area to date. As a nonprofit organization, all proceeds support program development and assist in delivering health education to students in low-resourced areas.

.Hinsdale Humane Society

21 N. Salt Creek Lane, Hinsdale 630-323-5630 hinsdalehumanesociety.org

For 66 years, the nonprofit Hinsdale Humane Society (HHS) has been finding forever families for homeless dogs and cats while also offering programs like Pet Therapy, Dog Training, and Humane Education for the community. What started as six local women wanting to make a difference in 1953 has grown into the well-respected Tuthill Family Pet Rescue & Resource Center (PRRC) with approximately 300 volunteers and more than 1,500 adoptions annually and growing daily.

In addition to housing the animals, the building is designed to be a community gathering space not only for events, lectures, group meetings, birthday parties, and group rentals, but also for visitors to stop by, have a cup of coffee, and see the animals up for adoption.

It all comes back to the animals and providing them with innovative care while at the facility, and a wonderful forever home once they leave. The PRRC educates, advocates, and adopts out pets, acting as a voice for animals who depend on people for their care. The goal is to prevent animal suffering and neglect throughout this community and beyond and to ensure that all animals in shelters and homes are well cared for and treated with compassion.

The PRRC is a “limited access” shelter (not required to accept every pet coming through the doors) that never has to euthanize for reasons of time or space. To help “open access” shelters that must accept every pet through their doors, the PRRC transfers in animals from those shelters to help get them into homes.

Pets also come to the shelter from ten police departments throughout the Western Suburbs that bring in lost animals. And, pets that can no longer stay with their family due to financial constraints, allergies, or for other reasons, go on a waiting list for an adoption spot at the shelter.

Once all pets receive a health screening in the Irving & Phyllis Millstein Medical Suite, and go through temperament testing, they are ready for adoption. Once pets leave the shelter, there are plenty of community resources housed within the PRRC to help families with behavior, training, medical issues, and more.

AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale

120 N. Oak Street, Hinsdale 630-856-9000 amitahealth.org

At AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale, staff focuses on providing expert, compassionate care for patients when they need treatment. The hospital’s state-of-the-art facility offers the latest in emergency, medical, and surgical services, medical lab and imaging services, heart and vascular care, cancer care, orthopedic and neurological care, obstetrical and women’s care, access to top specialists, clinical research, and much more.

Since opening in 1904, care delivered with Christian compassion has been the mission of the hospital—to extend the healing ministry of Jesus. More than 2,000 associates and 400 volunteers work at the hospital, and more than 1,100 physicians are on staff at the 261-bed medical center.

AMITA Health Hinsdale has earned the top safety grade in The Leapfrog Group’s bi-annual Hospital Safety Grade study. Receiving an “A” in the Spring 2018 edition of the study, the medical center also was awarded The Leapfrog Group’s “Straight A” designation, which recognizes hospitals that have received an “A” grade for the last three years. AMITA Health Hinsdale is also a “Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Five-Star Quality Rated” facility. No other facility in the neighboring communities carries this distinction. In the medical center’s Level II Trauma Center, more than 27,000 patients are treated each year. The center also has an Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics (EDAP) certification. Patients can schedule their ED visit online at waitathome.org.

AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale has the necessary qualifications to care for women who have the potential or likelihood for complicated or high-risk deliveries and newborns that might require specialized services in its Level III Perinatal Center.

At the AMITA Health Cancer Institute Hinsdale, located at One Salt Creek Lane in Hinsdale, patients receive cancer care that is compassionate, personalized, and focused on outcomes. Experts in pathology, hematology/oncology, radiation therapy, oncological surgery, general surgery, genetics, and others work together and use state-of-the art diagnostic and treatment technologies and offer patients the latest breakthroughs and clinical trials.

The hospital’s state-of-the-art da Vinci Xi surgical system enables trained surgeons to perform delicate operations through a few tiny incisions, offering a minimally invasive option for surgical procedures. The leading edge MAKOplasty total hip replacement and MAKOplasty total and partial knee procedures are also offered.

The AMITA Health Behavioral Medicine Institute is the largest in Illinois and seventh largest in the nation. The Institute treats the full spectrum of disorders and addictions, with additional specialty programs for OCD, geriatric depression, and postpartum depression with infant-in-residence.

The Community House

415 W. Eighth Street, Hinsdale 630-323-7500 thecommunityhouse.org

Since its beginning in 1941, The Community House, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has been at the heart of the community. As it has branched out, its sense of service and of community has grown, but its heart remains—to champion a vibrant and caring community.

The organization offers many innovative and unique educational, athletic, and arts programs—providing countless opportunities for volunteering and investment. The facility is open for meetings, parties, and weddings. But at the end of the day, The Community House leaders’ desire is to see a deeply connected community transforming lives. The organization stands for the power of neighbors joining with neighbors.

Whether through the Ly Hotchkin Arts Program, Youth Recreation Programming, Active Adults, Facility Rentals, or the social services provided through Willowbrook Corner, The Counseling Center, or Before and After School Programming, The Community House’s mission remains simple: “Ignite the promise of relationships; inspire your best self to come out and play; unite people across a diverse community; and provide a meaningful place to engage.”

Wellness House

131 N. County Line Road, Hinsdale 630-323-5150 wellnesshouse.org

Wellness House envisions communities where all people affected by cancer thrive. Offered at no cost, and as a complement to medical treatment, Wellness House’s programs educate, support, and empower participants so they will improve their physical and emotional well being. Programs are professionally designed and facilitated to complement traditional medical treatment to help people live to their fullest through and beyond a cancer diagnosis.

Recognizing that cancer affects the whole person, participants can choose from programs such as nutrition classes, stress reduction, exercise classes, individual counseling, support groups, and bereavement.

There are also a variety of programs which focus on specific cancers and issues that patients and family members (including young and adult children) may experience. Even when cancer patients have an established support network and are content with their medical treatment, Wellness House programs can lead to a greater understanding of cancer, its treatment, side effects, and choices available; a reduced sense of isolation, fear, anxiety, and stress; a greater sense of control; improved communication within the support network and family; a positive outlook; and an extended support network.