Oak Brook in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Portiuncula Chapel

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 23, 2024

1. Portiuncula Chapel Marker

Inscription. The Portiuncula Chapel is a replica of the chapel in Italy where St. Francis of Assisi received the call to serve God's poor in 1208. The family of Francis S. Peabody built this chapel in his memory in 1926, on the south side of the lake where he died. The chapel was moved to this site and dedicated in 1973.

Erected by Mayslake Landmark Conservancy.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Charity & Public Work • Religion & Religious Structures • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.

Location. 41° 49.772′ N, 87° 57.605′ W. Marker is in Oak Brook, Illinois, in DuPage County. It can be reached from 31st Street (County Route 34) half a mile west of Kingery Highway (Illinois Route 83), on the right when traveling east. The marker is on the right side of the entryway to the chapel, located on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1717 31st Street, Oak Brook IL 60523, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also

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in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Gatehouse at Mayslake (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Indian Boundary Line (about 500 feet away); Original Butler School Merry-Go-Round (approx. ¾ mile away); Veteran's Memorial (approx. 1.1 miles away); Fox Hunt (approx. 1.2 miles away); Glacial Landscapers Inc. (approx. 1.3 miles away); The Men of V-1668 (approx. 1½ miles away); 9/11 Memorial Garden (approx. 1½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oak Brook.

Also see . . .
1. Mayslake Peabody Estate. From the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County website

Excerpt: "The Portiuncula Chapel is a replica of the original in Assisi, Italy, which is named for the “little portion” of land where St. Francis of Assisi received his call to serve the
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 23, 2024

2. Portiuncula Chapel
poor. The front features a colorful stone mosaic. After Peabody’s death, his family commissioned the Franciscans to build the chapel as a memorial to the late industrialist in 1926. The order moved the chapel to its current location in 1973."

(Submitted on December 23, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Catholic Encyclopedia: Portiuncula. A history of the original Portiuncula in Assisi, Italy. (Submitted on December 23, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Portiuncula Chapel image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 23, 2024

3. Portiuncula Chapel

A large yellow cross is behind the chapel.

Portiuncula Chapel front image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 23, 2024

4. Portiuncula Chapel front

Francis and Mary Peabody image. Click for full size.

Chicago Daily News Collection, Chicago History Museum, 1920

5. Francis and Mary Peabody

Francis Peabody and his wife were photographed along the railing at a horse race in Chicago in 1920. In the later years of his life, Peabody was active in thoroughbred racing and owned racehorses.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 23, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 521 times since then and 87 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 23, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 5. submitted on December 29, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.