It’s almost surreal to see what we now know as the Martin Mitchell House sitting all by its lonesome and surrounded by undeveloped land. When this photo was shot in the early 1900s, the home belonged to George Martin, a wealthy farmer and quarry owner who built the 12-room mansion for his family on what was then the rural edge of downtown Naperville. His daughter, Catherine Martin Mitchell, would end up donating the house — which George named called Pine Craig — and 200-plus acres of land to the city of Naperville. Mitchell wanted the house used as a Naperville history museum, and in 1969 it became the centerpiece of the 13-acre Naper Settlement campus. The land surrounding it is occupied by Naperville Central High School and the Naperville Riverwalk and Park, which includes Rotary Hill, Millennium Carillon in Moser Tower, Paddleboat Quarry, Centennial Beach and other amenities. The man who took the picture was Charles Koretke, a prolific photographer who documented almost everything in the city during his time.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/naperville-settlement-martin-mitchell-house-photo/