Historical Society Locations

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  Plainfield Historical Society Museum and Research Room: 15412 S. Route 59, Unit 120

  Located in the Plainfield Plaza shopping center, the Society’s museum, research room, and administrative office can be found in the north end of the north plaza building (4 doors north of Tischler’s Market and 3 doors north of Big Pauly’s Pizza).

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  Historic Phillips 66 Service Station Renovation: 15204 S. Route 59

  Although the historic. 1940 Phillips 66 service station is undergoing renovation, the site, located on Illinois Route 59 at Ottawa Street—along the only shared alignment of the Lincoln Highway and U. S. Route 66—is publicly accessible during the 2026 Centennial Celebration of Historic Route 66. This early example of the Phillips Petroleum Company’s “oblong box” service station represents a shift in the company’s architectural branding. The site is preserved as 1 of 14 or more service stations that operated, simultaneously, in Plainfield before World War II.

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  EJ & E Depot and Sennitt Milking Parlor: 15023 Wood Farm Road

  Located just west of the DuPage River in Downtown Plainfield at the intersection of Lockport Street and Wood Farm Road, the open-air site includes transportation and agricultural relics: a restored 19th century depot, 1956 caboose, and boxcar as well as an early 20th century, air mail navigation beacon tower; and the curious, 1930s concrete milking parlor & milkhouse, erected by Chares Sennitt.

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  Turner-Mottinger House at Quality Hill: 24718 W. Lockport Street

  Located in a residential neighborhood, east of Illinois Route 59, this property—which is not open to the public—was the home of James and Mary (House) Turner by 1835. James Turner is one of the 5 founders of the Village of Plainfield; all 5 of the founders’ homes (built between 1833 and 1837) remain standing in the Village. Mr. and Mrs. Turner were among the area’s Abolitionists and believed to be among the early members of the Will County Anti-Slavery Society, established in 1842. Mr. Turner remodeled and enlarged the small home between 1842 and 1847, incorporating a “hiding space” beneath a staircase and behind a cupboard, where freedom-seeking enslaved people were sheltered as they navigated the Underground Railroad prior to the Civil War (1861-1865). The historic property is currently undergoing rehabilitation but expected to be open to the public by appointment in 2026.

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  Wheatland Plowing Match Memorial Site: 24761 W. 119th Street

  Located east of Illinois Route 59, this memorial site commemorates the location of the first Wheatland Plowing Match—an agricultural fair and skill competition. Begun in 1877, the Wheatland Plowing Match operated for a century…hosting its final fair in 1976. The property is currently closed to public access (due to a roadway improvement project initiated by an adjacent commercial development) but is scheduled to re-open in 2026.