The Volunteer Millers of de Immigrant Windmill welcome Erin Thompson, curator of the Dillion Home in Sterling, IL, to share the charm and history of this 1858 home. The structure is a work of art by Italianate Architecture built originally for Civil War Brigadier General Edward Needles Kirk and his wife. After several owners, it was purchased in 1882 by Washington Dillon, President of Northwestern Steel and Wire.
Home of P.W. Dillon and his wife Crete, it retains all of the original furnishings and belonging. Mrs. Washington was an avid traveler and collector of eclectic pieces and period furniture. When the estate was obtained by the Sterling Park Dist it was still filled with treasures and virtually un-touched by time, standing as a reminder of things past. A 1929 Baldwin Steam Engine from the steel mill is also on the property. It is the last daily-fired steam engine to have worked in the U.S.
Join Erin as she conveys the beauty and the magic of the Dillon home by photo and word. Ms Thompson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, a Master’s in Writing and Consciousness from New College of California and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Southern Illinois University. She also is the author of a book on the Biographies of Katherine Shaw and Solomon Bethea , the founders of Dixon’s KSB Hospital.
Programming is sponsored by the Volunteer Millers of de Immigrant Windmill with financial assistance of a grant from the D.S. Flikkema Foundation. The presentation will are held Monday, March 5 @6:00pm located at the Windmill Cultural Center at 111 – 10th Avenue in downtown Fulton, across from the authentic Dutch windmill. This event is free and open to the public. The facility is accessible to persons with disabilities. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation. For more information, visit the Windmill Cultural Center and de Immigrant Windmill Facebook page, www.cityoffulton.us website, or call 815-589-3925.
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