Coal magnate Francis Stuyvesant Peabody purchased 850 acres in DuPage County early in the 20th century, and named the estate after his wife May who recently died. He eventually built a Tudor style country house on the property in 1921, and died on a fox hunt on Mayslake the next year.
Peabody mansion
The family sold the estate to the Franciscan order, who repurposed the property to a friary and retreat center. The Peabody family donated a chapel in memory of Francis modeled after the church near Assisi where St. Francis began his ministry.
Portiuncula Chapel
The Franciscans periodically sold off portions of the estate to developers, and in 1991 placed the remaining 87 acres for sale. The residents of DuPage County passed a referendum to purchase the land and convert it to a forest preserve. Some arts groups use the old mansion which is slowly being restored. First Folio theater company began outdoor productions on the grounds in 1996, and creatively use the mansion for indoor performances.
All’s Well
My favorite part of the grounds is the restored prairie. Here’s a view over the small creek that runs through the property.
Mayslake prairie
The prairie is now in high summer bloom — Blazing Stars, Yellow Coneflowers, and Rattlesnake Master fill the scene.
Many butterflies are enjoying the flowers. This might be a Painted Lady on the Blazing Star.
Blazing Painted Lady
Now a whole new part of the preserve has opened up to us. Two months ago, we took a chance on rescuing a 3 1/2 year old Border Collie mix. He’d had some challenges with his prior family and developed many health issues, but a foster family helped him get back in shape. This bit of Scottish legacy has dove deep into our hearts. Mayslake has a big off-leash dog area, and Chance loves it!
Happy Chance
Fortunately, Chance loves going on long walks, and narrow trails through tall grass suits him just fine. One of things he’s learning is to sit still for my camera.
Last week, I brought Chance to the dog park, and figured I’d leave my camera behind for this trip. Of course, we get there and some new flowers had suddenly come in bloom. We watched as a hawk landed near them. It seemed I was back in Florida with Hibiscus in full sun. We came back with the camera, and the hawk was gone but the Rose Mallow blooms were brilliant. In the prairie vista above, you can’t see down into the creek bed. But there the Rose Mallow (hibiscus cousins) and Maryland Senna enjoy the wet ground in the far north part of their range.
Rose Mallow and Maryland Senna wave
Peabody built two lakes on the property. The Franciscans placed crosses throughout the property likely as a meditation trail. And this historic legacy remains in the restored prairie.
Calvary