History re-opened; Society gears up for opening of Immanuel Hall

After years of community effort to save and restore one of Hinsdale’s most cherished historical buildings, Immanuel Hall is re-opening its doors.

Bob Saigh was among residents who turned to the Hinsdale Historical Society and the village in the fall of 1998 for help in saving Immanuel Hall, after it was discovered that the property had been sold to a private party and was likely to be demolished for a new home.

A member of the society for 10 years and past-vice president, Saigh has been a catalyst in saving and restoring Immanuel Hall, which sits less than a block away from his home.

“Like most of my neighbors, I had come to view the building as an example of Hinsdale’s special charm because of its classic, handsome simplicity and because it dated from Hinsdale’s early years,” Saigh said. “It was built entirely with skilled volunteer labor, which was the kind of generous spirit that describes Hinsdale today.”

To celebrate Immanuel Hall and how far it has come through the help of the community, an open house will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the hall, 302 S. Grant St.

Immanuel Hall was built by German immigrants who lived in the neighborhood in 1900 for their families, who needed a place to gather and worship. During the last 100-plus years, the building has served as a church, office and school. When the society took ownership of it in 2001, members wanted it to continue serving the community as a place to gather in the heart of the village. Immanuel Hall was the village’s first official historic and community landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Penny Bohnen, Historical Society board member in charge of membership and outreach, helped start fundraising efforts with her husband, John, so the vision for a refurbished Immanuel Hall could become a reality. She said the first task was getting people into the building, as many didn’t even know where it was. From concerts to receptions to an Oktoberfest, Immanuel Hall — which only holds about 125 people — was utilized for a variety of events.

“It’s a special little treasure in the middle of our community,” Bohnen said. “It shows belief in the history of the village, which should be and has always been very precious to us, and it’s a wonderful place to gather.”

The success of the fundraising campaign made the rehab possible, with the largest contribution coming from the Roger and Ruth Anderson family.

Groundbreaking occurred in the spring of 2007, and since then access to the building has been improved, a rear addition with bathrooms and an elevator have been added and the main and upper levels have been extensively refurbished with a fully equipped kitchen. The lower level has also been completely rehabilitated to house the Roger and Ruth Anderson Architecture Center.

“The mission of the Architecture Center is to advance public interest and education in architecture,” said Historical Society member Sandy Williams, who helped spearhead the project.

Williams said it will house the society’s architectural archives including blue prints of houses, architectural biographies and history on developments. There will also be reference books on building styles, surveys and current material on home maintenance and green sustainable housing products available for construction. Williams said they plan on offering a variety of architectural tours through Hinsdale and are writing programs for each of the grade levels in the local districts on subjects related to architecture.