Naperville in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Naper Homestead
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 16, 2025
1. Naper Homestead Marker
In 2006-07, a team of archaeologists, Naper Settlement staff, and community volunteers uncovered nearly 25,000 artifacts at this site, providing strong evidence that city founder Joseph Naper and his family built their original home and trading post here in 1831.
Other site features, including the remains of two frame houses, show that the site was continuously occupied by Napervillians from the 1830s through the mid-20th century. What they left behind are clues revealing how they lived, including how they built their houses, the clothing they wore, the food they ate, and what they carried in their pockets.
The Naper dig team discovered that artifacts from different historical eras were sometimes mixed together, as both human and animal activity on this site rearranged the topsoil. The project found thousands of historical artifacts, including fragments of:
Refined ceramics, like dishes used for beverage and food consumption (teacups, plates)
Earthenware
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Glass (bottles, jars, tableware, lamp glass)
Kitchen items and objects used in food preparation (forks, Dutch oven fragments) and debris from cooking (animal bones, eggshells, oyster shells)
Personal items (tobacco pipes, jewelry, glass beads, jack knives, marbles, buttons)
Furniture hardware (drawer pulls, upholstery tacks)
Architectural fragments (nails, screws, hinges, bricks, window glass, slate).
Erected 2010 by Naper Settlement.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1831.
Location. 41° 46.377′ N, 88° 9.27′ W. Marker is in Naperville, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Mill Street, on the right when traveling east on Jefferson Avenue. The marker is one of several at the Naper Homestead. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 338 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville IL 60540, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 16, 2025
2. Naper Homestead
A statue of Joseph Naper is at the northwest entry into this small park.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Hand Pump (a few steps from this marker); First Frame House (a few steps from this marker); Mark Naper Home (a few steps from this marker); Trading Post Site (a few steps from this marker); Log Cabin Site (within shouting distance of this marker); The Napers & Naperville (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Naper Homestead (within shouting distance of this marker); Naper Settlement (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Naperville.
More about this marker. A 9½-foot bronze statue of Joseph Naper greets visitors in the northwest corner of this small park. These interpretative signs were established around 2010, a few years after the archeological dig described by
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 16, 2025
3. Joseph Naper statue
Regarding Naper Homestead. The Naper family built three homes at this site, the last one a wood-frame structure from 1896. The last home was demolished, according to a nearby sign, sometime between 1964 and 1974. The City of Naperville acquired the site in 2006, the 175th anniversary of the Naper family's arrival here, and opened it up to archeologists.
Also see . . .
1. Naper Homestead. Naper Settlement, an outdoor museum in Naperville, shares the history of the Naper Homestead.
Excerpt: "On April 13, 2006, in commemoration of the City's 175th anniversary, the City of Naperville purchased the original Joseph and Almeda Naper Homestead, located at the southeast corner of Jefferson Avenue and Mill Street, due to its historical significance. Subsequently, two on-site archeological digs managed by the Naperville Heritage Society, conducted in 2006 and 2007, revealed foundation elements of four different structures that once stood on the site, as well as more than 25,000 artifacts."(Submitted on December 18, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Photos of the Naper Homestead excavations and restoration.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 16, 2025
4. Naper Homestead
At least nine historical markers about the Naper family and the later archeological digs here can be found inside the small park.
3. Joseph Naper and the 'Town of Naperville'. From the Positively Naperville site.
Excerpt: "While on a routine trip to Fort Dearborn, now Chicago, he earned extra money as a surveyor for Cook County and discovered the virgin land along the DuPage River with its fertile soil and abundant wooded areas. Joseph recognized the potential to build a new community with the natural resources that were available."(Submitted on December 18, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 16, 2025
5. Naper Homestead Marker
A close-up of the property map on this marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 18, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 86 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 18, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
