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15 people are interested
Docents for Leading Tours at Historic Pleasant Home
ORGANIZATION: Pleasant Home Foundation
Please visit the new page to apply.
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15 people are interested
Pleasant Home's volunteer docent program offers great opportunities to deepen one's understanding of architecture and early 20th century Chicago history, while also meeting travelers. Docents are so valuable to Pleasant Home because we rely on them to interpret the 1897 Prairie Style house museum and its stories to guests. Training program consists of three classes that introduce docents to:
1) architect George Maher and his legacy
2) the Farson family, who were considered local celebrities with eccentric interests for a sleepy countryside town, including hosting lavish parties, roller-skating the streets, and wearing the color red
3) the Mills family, second owners of Pleasant Home, who invented coin-operated amusement machines including slot machines, penny arcade games, and jukeboxes
Volunteer commitment is once/month, on a Thursday-Sunday from 12-2pm. During each shift, you will be expected to lead two 45 min. guided tours. While waiting for visitors, you are invited to read, knit, play piano, or assist in historical research and community outreach. Docents will be called upon as needed for additional volunteer opportunities as interested, including group tours, weddings, performances, and community programs.
If interested, contact Elissa Ledvort at eledvort@pleasanthome.org or call (708) 383-2654 ext. 3
More opportunities with Pleasant Home Foundation
1 ReviewNo additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
About Pleasant Home Foundation
Location:
217 HOME AVE, OAK PARK, IL 60302, US
Mission Statement
The Pleasant Home Foundation is dedicated to restoring, preserving and operating Pleasant Home as a historic house museum while presenting a year-round schedule of tours, educational programs, community events and cultural performances.
Description
Pleasant Home is a national architectural treasure, designed in 1897 by prominent Prairie Style architect George Maher. The home is one of the earliest and most distinguished examples of Prairie School architecture and is the finest surviving example of Maher’s work. Maher wrote extensively about the need for a new American architecture, encouraging architects to develop indigenous styles based upon local conditions. His design philosophy, called "motif-rhythm theory," use elements from the site’s natural and community setting to inspire motifs that are incorporated throughout the entire structure, bringing unity and meaning to every detail.
Pleasant Home has a history of fascinating characters. Owner John Farson was a memorable figure in the community who wore red bow-ties and hosted extravagant Gatsbyish parties. Second owners, the Mills family, made their fortune manufacturing coin-operated amusement machines. In 1939, Pleasant Home was purchased by the Oak Park Park District and operated as a community center, until opening as a museum in 1990. Pleasant Home was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996.
Pleasant Home was built for entertaining, and is still being used for its original purpose today. Much more than a museum, Pleasant Home is a vibrant cultural destination offering a year-round schedule of educational programs, community events, cultural performances, in addition to rentals. Countless stories fill these walls, and we welcome all to visit and experience the past.
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
217 Home Ave.Oak Park, IL 60302
DATE POSTED
April 23, 2017
SKILLS
- History
- People Skills
- Storytelling
GOOD FOR
- Teens
- People 55+
REQUIREMENTS
N/A