Celebrating Presevation Month: The Albright Building

1858 Methodist Church, photo from the DuPage River

As we celebrate National Preservation Month we honor our historic building and all those who worked and continue to work to preserve this historic structure. The Albright Building, which currently houses the Historical Museum & Art Gallery, was originally built in 1858 as the Warrenville Methodist Church. This Greek Revival Style building served as a church until 1901. For the next 23 years, the building was used for many different things, including hosting the town’s Live Wire club, which removed the church steeple.

Adam Emory Albright painting in front of the Albright Studio, the former Warrenville Methodist Church

In 1924, Adam Albright moved from Chicago to the rural town of Warrenville to paint along the DuPage River and made this building his studio. His twin sons, Ivan and Malvin, soon joined him in Warrenville. As part of a Great Depression Era make-work federal project, the Historic American Buildings Survey completed a study of the Albright Building.

1934 Historic American Buildings Survey plan for the Albright Building

After Adam Albright’s death in 1957, the building sat empty until the arts reinvigorated the structure again through the DuPage Art League and the Albright Theater Group. Neglect throughout the 1970s left the building in need of restoration.

In 1981, the City of Warrenville acquired the building and ensured its preservation with much support from the community and donations from Brooks and Hope McCormick. In 1984 the building opened as the new home of the Warrenville Historical Society and a local communication company. In 2005 the Warrenville Historical Museum & Art Gallery expanded to occupy the entire building as it still exists today. The Historical Society greatly appreciates the City of Warrenville’s care for the historic structure that makes a fitting home for Warrenville’s rich history.