January 15, 2025
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Sandwich Historical Society’s Stone Mill Museum will reopen April 2

By David Petesch
The Stone Mill Museum, home to the Sandwich Historical Society, located at 315 E Railroad St, Sandwich, IL.

The Stone Mill Museum, home to the Sandwich Historical Society, located at 315 E Railroad St, Sandwich, IL. (David Petesch)

The Stone Mill Museum, owned and operated by the Sandwich Historical Society, will open for the spring and summer season April 2. The museum will be open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays, April through September.

Built in 1856 as a steam grist mill, the mill closed in 1892 and after changing hands several times between local manufacturers;, the building was donated to the Sandwich Historical Society in 1965 by the James Knights Co.

In 1969, the Stone Mill Museum was opened. The museum features four floors of historical artifacts, mainly from Sandwich, with displays ranging from the Native Americans to the Civil War and many items invented in Sandwich.

The first floor of the Stone Mill Museum houses many Native American artifacts and displays.

The first floor of the Stone Mill Museum houses many Native American artifacts and displays. (David Petesch)

The first floor houses the Native American exhibit, featuring a taxidermy display and a mural of the time periods that is more than 20 feet wide.

A mural depicting Native Americans on a timeline through the ages done by local artist Quen Carpenter on display at the Stone Mill Museum.

A mural depicting Native Americans on a timeline through the ages done by local artist Quen Carpenter on display at the Stone Mill Museum. (David Petesch)

The second floor has displays of several businesses frozen in time. There is an old shop display at the front of the room with antique registers, a dentist’s operating room from the 1940s and more.

The second floor of the Stone Mill Museum houses displays of several businesses frozen in time.

The second floor of the Stone Mill Museum houses displays of several businesses frozen in time. (David Petesch)

The third floor has several displays of war memorabilia, antique clothing and furniture from the area. The top floor is full of historic agricultural equipment and several items invented in Sandwich.

The top floor of the Stone Mill Museum houses antique agricultural tools and several items invented by Sandwich Locals.

The top floor of the Stone Mill Museum houses antique agricultural tools and several items invented by Sandwich Locals. (David Petesch)

Joan Hardekopf is a Sandwich historian and curator for the museum. She is the main operator of the facility and has created several displays, including look books full of old newspapers and photographs of Sandwich churches and schools.

The historical society will host the annual “walk down memory lane” Sunday, July 3, where long-standing residents will share stories about Sandwich’s history.

The museum is run entirely by volunteers, and Hardekopf said they are in need of more. She said there are about a dozen local volunteers who regularly help clean or host the museum Sundays.

Hardekopf said the souvenirs and beverages they sell at the Sandwich Fair are mainly what keeps the museum open these days.

Memberships for $20 a year, $35 a year for families, help support the historical society and will grant free admission to special events and a 10% store discount in the museum and online. Members also will receive newsletters with information on events and an annual excursion bulletin.

Admission to the museum is free, but donations are appreciated.