Five Mile House Foundation

Five Mile House Foundation The Five Mile House is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization outside Charleston, Illinois. Oldest house in Coles County.
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summer alternate Sundays 1-4:00 beginning May 30. In 1998, group of local individuals including John Dively, Dan Thornburgh, Calvin Smith and Larry Bates formed a group to do restoration work on Charleston's Old Town Cemetery. After completing that project, they then decided to move on to saving and preserving the the Five Mile House southeast of town. A committee was formed and other members recr

uited. There actually was quite a bit of local interest in the preservation effort, particularly from descendents of the Rennels family who owned and lived in the house at various times in the past (see Chronology of Owner and Genealogy Sections). Grants were secured from a local foundation and from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and local fund raising appeals were made. Enough funds were secured to purchase the Five Mile House, the adjacent 1958 Eaton house and about an acre of land as well as going forward with the restoration effort. A dedication of the restored Five Mile House was held in August of 2004. Since that time, the Foundation has worked on completing additional restoration, acquiring historic furnishings for the house, starting a 4th grade school program, summer open houses and making repairs and upgrades to the 1958 Eaton house which is being rented to supplement Foundation income. In 2008, a capital improvement project was initiated to construct a parking lot, sidewalk and handicap accessible ramp, interpretive signs and other visitor amenities. A modern restroom building was completed in 2012. A giant undertaking proceeded in 2019: deconstructing the 1880 commodore Perry barn 3 miles east of the Five Mile House, Then reconstructing it on the Five Mile House site. The Trillium Dell company persevered through a long muddy
spring erecting the timbers.Throughout the ensuing months, we
* added roofing and pine board siding,
* added a tin roof,
*Constructed a beautiful brick floor from handmade bricks,
*Laid a brick patio comprised of commemorative bricks from 5 Mile House supporters,
*constructed a Blacksmith forge base and slowly build up the bricks and the chimney for the forge,
* ran sidewalks from the house to the barn,
*Graded and seeded the majority of the large yard
* electrified the barn,
* created a lovely butterfly garden on the corner of the lot
*Refurbished the front room of the house as it might have looked in the 1850s. Future plans Include a 1 acre parking lot on adjacent land donated by the Shrader family. Plans are to stain the barn a barn red color. We would also like to solve the problem of the plaster peeling in the front room due to water retention in the old porous bricks hand-made in the 1830s from clay from the banks of the Embarass River. There is ongoing discussion about renting out the barn as an event venue To help defray operational expenses.

TomColins St. Patrick's Day show 7-9 pm, this Saturday, March 14 at Jackson Ave. Coffee in downtown Charleston. Come enj...
03/09/2026

TomColins St. Patrick's Day show 7-9 pm, this Saturday, March 14 at Jackson Ave. Coffee in downtown Charleston. Come enjoy Irish songs, classic 60s & 70s hits, sing alongs, Irish jokes and trivia, and always, a good time!

Come join us for a fun Christmas show featuring favorite Christmas songs along with classic winter songs. A good way to ...
12/13/2025

Come join us for a fun Christmas show featuring favorite Christmas songs along with classic winter songs. A good way to get into the Christmas spirit on a winter Saturday night at the JAC.

10/02/2025

Five Mile House Fall Festival on October 4-5. Come on out for a family friendly good time.

The Midwest Open Air Museums (MOMCC) 2025 Fall conference is being held in Coles County on November 6-8. Lots of good wo...
10/02/2025

The Midwest Open Air Museums (MOMCC) 2025 Fall conference is being held in Coles County on November 6-8. Lots of good workshops and sessions. Conference is centered at the Hilton Garden Inn just east of I-57 and Mattoon. Thursday evening reception is at Lincoln Log Cabin. Early registration deadline is October 15. Go to www.momcc.org for the conference packet or to sign up or contact Tom Vance and he'll send you the packet - [email protected], 217-549-1845. Conference sponsors are Lincoln Log Cabin, Five Mile House and the Illinois Amish Heritage Center.

09/16/2025

It is with great sadness that the Eastern Illinois University community has learned of the passing of one of its most distinguished alumni and public servants, former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar. A proud member of the EIU Class of 1968, Governor Edgar’s life and career are a testament to the power of education, integrity, and service.

Governor Edgar’s journey in public service began right here in Charleston, where he served as EIU’s Student Body President. He went on to a remarkable career in state government, serving as Illinois Secretary of State before being elected to two terms as Governor.

Throughout his time in office, he was widely respected for his commitment to education funding reform, child welfare, and healthcare initiatives, as well as for promoting fiscal responsibility and modernizing state services.

He remained deeply connected to his alma mater throughout his career. He was named EIU’s Distinguished Alumnus in 1982 and received an honorary degree in Public Service in 1999. In 2007, he and his wife Brenda established the Edgar Speaker Series to bring influential leaders in government and public policy to campus. Today, EIU’s Booth Library is the proud home of his professional papers.

Governor Edgar’s legacy is defined by his civility, fairness, and unwavering dedication to improving the lives of others. He was a firm believer that education creates opportunity, and that an engaged citizenry is essential for a healthy democracy. He served with patience, always seeking solutions over division and emphasizing public service as the cornerstone of a life well-lived.

He will be deeply missed by the EIU family, our neighbors in Charleston, and the people of Illinois.

08/23/2025

Address

IL Route 130 At Intersection With The Westfield Road
Charleston, IL
61920

Telephone

(217) 348-8603

Website

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