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Recognition for Oswego’s historian Restored room at museum to be named for Roger Matile the effort to preserve and then renovate the museum building. Mundsinger said Matile is also For years members of the deserving of the recognition due Oswegoland Heritage Associa- to his involvement in the Oswego tion have referred to the former community over the years as edimain classroom at the Little tor and columnist with the Fox White School Museum in Oswego Valley Sentinel, Ledger-Sentinel simply as the “big room” or the and Oswego Ledger, and his au“front room.” thoring of local history books. But later this month, the re“What I know of Oswego hisstored classroom with its distinc- tory, my knowledge comes from tive and historically accurate Roger [Matile] and I’m sure that diamond-patterned glass panes is true for many other people,” he and nickel-plated light fixtures said. will have a new name: the Roger Cathi Mundsinger described A. Matile Room, in honor of the Matile’s contribution to the mumuseum’s longtime volunteer di- seum as “deep and wide.” rector. “Everything that has hapThe room will be dedicated pened in that museum, from the during a public gathering at 2 historical aspect to the profesp.m. Sunday, May sional manner in 22, at the museum. which it’s operCathi Mundsated, has been If you go inger, a member driven by what of the Oswegoland Roger has done,” The public is invited Heritage Associashe said. to attend a gathering tion, the nonprofit Mundsinger to mark the dedication organization that noted that a few of the Roger A. Matile operates the museyears ago Pat Room at the Little um, said the assoMiller, executive White School Museum ciation’s board dedirector of the Ilat 2 p.m. Sunday, May cided to name the linois Heritage 22. The museum is room in Matile’s Association, comlocated at Jackson and honor for his work pleted an audit of Polk streets in the vilon the museum’s the museum’s oplage’s downtown. Some behalf over the erations and was of Matile’s current and past 40 years and “very complimenformer colleagues have his work as a jourtary” of the mubeen invited to speak nalist, author, loseum’s computer and refreshments will cal historian and database, how be available. preservationist. the artifacts have The Oswegobeen cataloged land Park District, and stored, and which owns and maintains the the volunteer staff’s professionalmuseum and uses it for commu- ism and ethics. nity meeting space, has approved “For a small museum we realthe OHA’s request to name the ly adhere to the highest standards room for Matile. that we can, and that is all beM u n d s i n g e r ’ s h u s b a n d , cause of Roger’s work,” she said. Wayne, also an OHA member, The OHA Board notified described Matile as the “driving Matile Thursday evening that force for years and years” behind they would dedicate the room in
By JOHN ETHEREDGE
jetheredge@shawmedia.com
Eric Miller - emiller@shawmedia.com
Roger Matile sits in the Roger Matile room, at the Little White School Museum in Oswego. his honor. Matile described himself as “really honored and a little taken aback by the whole thing.” He explained, “You don’t do this kind of work for people to honor you for it. You do it because it is the right thing to do and you’re also a little crazy, too. The other thing is there have always been so many other people involved in making the museum what it is. I sure don’t want people thinking that I really deserve this. I’m the one person who has stuck with it for 40 years. I’m not sure if that is something to be celebrated or ridiculed, but I’m glad at what we’ve all accomplished and working with all these people has been something that has been worthwhile.” The museum was constructed in 1850 at the corner of Jackson and Polk streets as a MethodistEpiscopal Church, but was converted for use as a school in 1915. School District 308 operated the
building as a school until 1964. By the mid-1970s the historic building had fallen into disrepair and, at one point, the school district took bids for its demolition. The possibility that the building would be razed prompted a group of concerned village residents to organize the OHA as a nonprofit organization to oversee the building’s preservation and restoration. They also invited Matile, who was then active in the Kendall County Bicentennial Commission, to join the organization. Matile recalled in those early years he and other OHA volunteers worked to stabilize the building and then to create the museum, which they located in what had been a classroom addition at the rear of the building. The museum was ready for its first visitors in 1983 and the opening of the village’s sesquicentennial celebration in June of that year.
Following the sesquicentennial, Matile said the OHA volunteers proceeded to gradually renovate and then fully restore the building. Today, the park district oversees the use of the soon-to-be-named Roger A. Matile Room by community groups and for private functions such as weddings. The OHA, meanwhile, operates the museum at the rear of the building and maintains its archives in the renovated basement. Matile noted the museum’s collection of local historical artifacts has continued to grow over the decades. He said as of last week there were just under 24,000 separate entries in the museum’s database. The museum’s collection has grown so much some artifacts are stored off-site at the park district’s Stewart House on Simons Road near Plainfield. Though he just turned 70 last
See MATILE, page 9