Mark Naper Home

Mark Naper Home. (Third House). This is the site of Mark Naper's home. , , Joseph Naper's son Mark built a house on this property in 1883 using timbers from his father's first frame home. Mark Naper was a prosperous jeweler who owned a thriving business in Naperville. Mark Naper's house was demolished sometime between 1964 and 1974. Archaeologists found scattered rubble, a drain tile, and a brick cistern that served this house and the nearby home of Joseph Naper's daughter, Bertha. , , Another nearby cistern was an archaeological treasure trove filled with discarded household items from the period when the Napers lived on the site. The cement-lined cistern was originally intended to catch rainwater runoff from the Naper's log cabin, It measured 63 inches in diameter and was shaped like an inverted bell, with an estimated capacity of 577 gallons. When the cistern was no longer needed, it was used to dispose of household trash and construction debris from the dismantling of the Naper family's second house in preparation for building Mark Naper's home. , , An archaeological team found 3,584 artifacts in this cistern. Most of the objects were related to building construction activity, including 1,013 nails and many wall plaster fragments. They also uncovered glass artifacts, kitchen-related items, personal objects like leather shoe parts and eyeglass lenses, and ceramic sherds. In addition to fragments, the team uncovered several complete vessels, including a stoneware jar and a clay tobacco pipe.