Rarely Seen Treasures from the Attic is the first new exhibit opening at the Steeple Building on June 9, 2013. The Bishop Hill Heritage Association will be exhibiting various objects from its collection that have not been displayed in decades or have never been displayed at all! Some of these artifacts include a presidential land grant signed by Founding Father James Monroe, an 18th century Swedish legal document, and a newspaper describing George Washington’s funeral. This exhibit contains objects from American, Swedish, and Bishop Hill history. New artifacts will be displayed each month. The exhibition ends September 30. It is sponsored by the Swedish Council of America and the Illinois Arts Council.
Colony to Community, The Story of New Sweden is the second exhibit opening at the Steeple Building on June 9, 2013. This traveling panel exhibit honors the 375th anniversary of the New Sweden colony, the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. Wilmington, Delaware is the modern day location for this first Swedish colony in North America. The display describes the impact that New Sweden had on American history and on Swedish emigration. Colony to Community, The Story of New Sweden will be on display throughout the summer. The exhibition was organized by the American Swedish Historical Museum in conjunction with the Delaware Historical Society and the New Jersey State Museum.