When the foundation acquired their first location at 510 South Third street, Rockford IL 61104, we really were very fortunate, because it was none other than the historical estate of the late Gilbert Woodruff, a very prominent business man and philanthropist in the mid 1850's. The 12,700 square foot estate on nearly two acres of land turned out to be fascinating to many of the locals in the neighborhood not only because of its vast size, but also because of the historical significance of what took place on these magnificent grounds over 150 years ago.

When we acquired and shared old city maps with the local residents they were taken back by the estate's original beauty and vast formal gardens. Many of the local children and parents were skeptical when we told them that our goal was to not only restore the estate to its original grandeur, but also encourage local residents to participate. Residents were shocked to find out that the center was for them, and that we needed their participation to make it work. Our goal is to create a safe container in which to learn and grow and in the process restore pride in the community. The kids looked at the old map and saw that it had a fountain, and thought that a fountain would never be a part of the neighborhood where they lived. For this reason we decided to make it a priority to rebuild one as the first joint project.

The first real educational program came to pass realizing what we could do because of the age of the buildings, and the grounds. We suspected that as we excavated the grounds, and dug out a place for the fountain, etc. we almost certainly would find some old artifacts and interesting memorabilia. We were right.

We found that normal tasks like ground excavation, and home renovation could be turned in to exciting archeological, and history programs. For this reason special care was taken when we dug out the sight for the fountain, and it was turned in to a genuine archeological dig.

What we found was more than a little fascinating to the children. It was like a treasure hunt. We unearthed pharmacy and facial cream bottles from the late 1800's, along with baby buggy wheels and countless other - in some cases unrecognizable - treasures.

This lesson made history very exciting for the children, and a lot of fun for all who participated. Suddenly history was an adventure, even for the student who never looked forward to cracking a history book.

In the beginning phases of renovating the mansion, we came across many clues as to what may have happened and when in the original building process. Most of the young people we work with can relate to the year 1989, but when they found signed documentation that someone had wall papered a wall in Feb. of 1889, they got a true concept of real history. As I said they remember 1989, or at least can relate to it. This message on a wall was put there 100 years before that. These are just a few of the big things that are being discovered by little hands at Eden.

The emergence of true community is being realized through the efforts of The Eden Foundation in many ways. We have found that the integration of children and in many cases the parents, or relatives of the children into our programming is the most effective and rewarding aspect of what were doing. Trust & rapport are taking the place of racial tension and segregation. Simply welcoming local residents to enjoy and participate in what is taking place at the foundation accomplishes this.