Pioneer Press,
Feb 26, 2004
Kirk presents grant for Stevenson home
U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-10th, of Highland Park, made a recent visit
at the former home of Adlai Stevenson III in Mettawa to present
Lake County Forest Preserves with a grant check for $99,000.
As part of the Federal Save America's Treasures initiative, Lake
County Forest Preserves received the matching grant from the National
Park Service to create interpretive educational exhibits that
examine Adlai Stevenson life.
Kirk has been an active advocate in the campaign to restore the
Adlai Stevenson home as an important piece of America's history.
Adlai Stevenson II was a political figure of local, national,
and international standing. He served as Governor of Illinois
from 1948 until 1952 and was twice the Democratic nominee for
President of the United States in 1952 and 1956. From 1960-1965,
he served as the American Ambassador to the United Nations.
In 1938, while practicing law in Chicago, Stevenson purchased
the property in Mettawa he called "the farm." The 1930s
era home, set on 46 acres along the Des Plaines River, is where
Stevenson entertained dignitaries such as John F. Kennedy and
Eleanor Roosevelt.
Donated to Lake County Forest Preserves in 1974, the Adlai E.
Stevenson home was added to the National Register of Historic
Places on Sept. 14, 2003.
The home is currently being restored through a $2 million grant
from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Once complete,
visitors can learn about Adlai Stevenson's life and dedication
to public service through informative educational exhibits along
a contemplative trail and on self-guided tours of the stable and
grounds.
Copyright© 2004, Digital Chicago Inc.
|