Jonathan Creek Bridge was Born

•October 16, 2019•

By Rick Matthews
NP Guest columnist

In 1904 the first building was built on the 264 acres of ground, left in the will of Robert A. Miller, to the Masons in the State of Illinois. An additional donation of 200 acres adjoining to the south was donated to the Grand Lodge by the Swain family, a past relative of the Shuman’s.
The building was built as a home for elderly and children of Masons in the State of Illinois. The children were only there for a few years and they were then housed at a new home built in LaGrange, Illinois.
The property had its own well and the land provided a source for food. The water from the well was pumped into a large tank in the attic to produce flowing water. The tank was too large to remove during the remodel, and it still remains. The Illinois Masonic Home building was later named the Men’s building, of which followed naming it the James E. Hart building, in his remembrance as administrator for many years.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.