The evening was bitterly cold, and the ground was covered with a layer of fresh snow. The clip-clop of horses’ feet sounded on the street, and for a while, it was easy to forget the occasional jet noise. The night sparkled with countless luminarias lining the circular drive of the newly refurbished Wilder Mansion. I huddled into the warmth of my heaviest coat and clutched a tote bag holding my party shoes — grateful I had worn boots.

Wilder Mansion, Elmhurst’s crown jewel, had received a facelift, and nearly 400 people were celebrating.

It could have been a scene from “Dr. Zhivago,” right down to the gleaming white carriage on the side drive, with the dignitaries ready to cut the ribbon in front of the huge white pillars.

Park Board President Colette Kubiesa told us that in 1868, when Seth Wadhams moved into this newly built Italianate mansion he named White Birch, the president of the United States was Ulysses S. Grant. She described a different Elmhurst and a different country, and while she introduced all of the Park Board members lined up behind her, we shivered with anticipation and the cold.

If the mansion’s exterior was 19th century Russia, the interior was Victorian England, complete with glittering crystal chandeliers and the Canterbury Carollers, dressed in Dickensian garb. The careful restoration made it nearly impossible to distinguish the old from the new. Stationed in the original front east-facing hall was a large antique grandfather clock, and various rooms’ fireplaces were decorated for Christmas by local florists and designers. People were able to see then-and-now photographs and pictures of the three families who once lived in the mansion.

Servers offered us delicious canapes as we greeted one another and tried to observe all the changes amid the press of people.

Stationed at various points around the mansion were Park Board members, including Vice President Chris Healy, Mary E. Kies, Patricia Morissette-Moll, Norm Reinertson, Vince Spaeth and Carolyn Ubriaco handing out commemorative booklets explaining the history of the mansion and all the people responsible for its restoration.

At one point, Morissette-Moll came over to me, introduced herself, then took my hand and led me around. I felt like a kid at Christmas.

Morissette-Moll was by then leading me up the winding staircase to the second-floor bridal chamber, which had an antique floor-length, three-way mirror for checking the matrimonial dress. This room was created for weddings the mansion hosts.

Huge buffet stations were set up in two of the second-floor rooms. I chatted with former Churchville French teacher Rosemarie DiOrio-Dressander and learned that Morissette-Moll teaches fifth grade at Conrad Fischer School.

Among the many guests were our state Sens. Dan Cronin and Carol Pankau and state Reps. Bob Biggins and Dennis Reboletti. There were at least two DuPage County Board members, Paul Fichtner and Jeff Redick, and I spotted Aldermen Diane Gutenkauf, Norm Leader (my husband), Susan Rose, Michael Bram, Moira Moriarty, Chris Nybo, George Szczepaniak, Steve Morley and Mark Mulliner. Among some of the other guests were Mayor Tom Marcucci and wife, Mimi, Joanie and Tom Borchert, Deb and Frank Catalano, School District 205 Superintendent Lynn Krizic, School Board members Marta Davy and Susan DeRonne, Marge and Ken Bartels, Claire and Richard Cronin, Darlene Van Meir, Shirley and Tom Myers, Jackie and Emil Haddad, Patti and Byron Spensor, Carol and Brian Bergheger, Anne and Tom Kline, Lauren and Jonathan Hand, Alice Doyle, Darlene Heslop, Diane McGinnis, Cathy and Phil Jordan, Donna and George Geis, Jane and Gene Evans, Rich Reichert, Linda and Jeff Fougerousse, Charlene Lee and Jack Frieslinger, and Janet and Fred Hodge.

Janet Hodge recalled the mansion when it was a “dusty old place,” while Susan Rose recalled when the Elmhurst Historical Museum was housed on the second floor and said, “I used to love to come here to sit in the big downstairs room with a book. It was a warm and welcoming place.”
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