About
The Oak Brook Historical Society was established in 1975 to serve as a community advocate for the historic preservation of our village and to be a resource for research and preservation of our history. Our current goal is to restore the Old Butler School which will serve the community as the Oak Brook Heritage Center, operated by the Oak Brook Historical Society. The Heritage Center will provide multigenerational programming, exhibits of the heritage and history of Oak Brook, a research library, and small group meeting space. At the Heritage Center, school children, their families, seniors and visitors alike will have the opportunity to learn from our past and dream of the future. The Heritage Center is on the National Registry of Historical Places.
History in the Making.......
Our Mission
The Oak Brook Historical Society, located in the historic Butler School, is dedicated to the discovery, preservation, and display of historical materials relating to the history and heritage of Oak Brook, Illinois.
What we do...
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We are in the process of restoring the interior of the historic Old Butler School which serves as the Oak Brook Heritage Center. The Heritage Center is operated by the Historical Society and will serve as an educational resource for the display and study of the heritage and history of Oak Brook for residents, school children and visitors alike.
Our Research Library serves as a family history center for those wishing to learn more about their ancestors and/or the early settlers of this area through the use of archival documents, photographs and various cemetery databases. Our volunteer staff will be happy to assist with research regarding history of the area upon request. We also welcome donations of previously completed, well-documented research regarding the Oak Brook area to be included in our collection.
The Heritage Center houses a large collection of vintage photographs of the area which are available for purchase for use in publications or other commercial or private use. We hope to inspire our community to learn about, preserve and share the rich history of our Village.
What we've accomplished...
• Annual Veterans’ Day celebration at Oak Brook Village Hall • Historic lectures on the Potawatomi Indians by Sue Devick and Don Fuller at the Oak Brook Library • Continued restoration work on the archive, library and two main classrooms at the Heritage Center. • The construction of a new gallery at the Heritage Center which will feature Polo History. • A major reorganization and preservation of archival materials, clothing, photos, and artifacts inside the Oak Brook Heritage Center. • Educational outreach program to local elementary students to highlight our six historic properties and renovated 1921 classrooms at the Heritage Center • Frequent staging of display cases at the Oak Brook Public Library including one featuring Potawatomi Indian artifacts and "Saving Places"-- a pictorial history of the Butler School and its restoration efforts. • Ongoing assistance and research to individuals and corporations regarding their history. This included: Oak Brook Municipal Golf, Butler National, Oak Brook Polo, Oakbrook Center Mall, Village of Oak Brook, Briarwood Lakes, Infant Welfare, and Oak Brook Women’s Club.