Clayson House Museum Celebrating 40th Anniversary October 6, 2019

The Palatine Historical Society will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of their Clayson House Museum with a celebration on Sunday October 6, 2019. The public is invited to visit Clayson House on this day and learn more about its history.

The building was purchased by the Library District in 1976 for $48,000, with the intent of restoring and maintaining the structure as a public museum. In March of 1979, the Clayson Museum was accepted on the National Register of Historic Places and the museum opened in October 1979, after renovations had restored the former rooming house to its original single family Victoria-era house.

Marilyn Pedersen spearheaded this enormous renovation project while others assisted with fundraising. Marilyn organized volunteers to help change the floor plan back to its original layout, as well as removing the existing hip roof and east porch. Other volunteers 'grained' the pine woodwork to mimic oak floor grain, which has been difficult to source after the Great Chicago Fire. Still others from the community, individuals and groups like the Jaycees, helped with removing wallpaper, painting, sanding floors and other rehab needs. A special group of helpers came back again and again to work on the transformation, they were named the Tuesday Toilers, and some of them are still active at the Museum today. Professionals were engaged for the electrical / HVAC, plastering work and cabinetry. Colors for the interior rooms and the house’s exterior were chosen carefully to keep with historical accuracy.

Years after its 1979 opening, the Clayson House Museum’s second floor was refurbished. The museum was steadily filled with furniture and fixtures true to the Victorian era that were acquired by the Palatine Historical Society. Records that Society had saved finally found a home in the upstairs library, papers once stored in closets were cataloged. Hundreds of photos of the Palatine area have been catalogued and digitized, sharing the lifestyle of area residents in the 1850's and decades after.

The Clayson House Museum is operated by the Palatine Historical Society and maintained by the Palatine Park District. The Palatine Historical Society welcomes visitors and offers tours of the Clayson Museum on Tuesdays. Thursdays and Sundays. For more information, visit palatinehistoricalsociety.com.