Historic Rockford Landmark Faces Costly Crisis

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens is one of Rockford, Illinois' most beloved landmarks, but right now its future is being threatened and it desperately needs the community's help.

Favorite Rockford Places

I have lived in the Rockford area my entire life, but I have never been on a tour of Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens. Shocking, I know.

Sure, I've read and heard many amazing stories about this historical Rockford place, but I have never walked within its walls or experienced it for myself.

My daughter and the rest of her sixth grade class recently went on a field trip to Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens, and she couldn't wait to tell me about all the cool things she learned and saw there when she got home.

My daughter's mind was blown by the fact that the Tinkers had to go to the bathroom in bowls, and she was completely fascinated by all the "old" (her words, not mine) things she saw inside the Cottage. (I still haven't told my daughter that Tinker Swiss Cottage is often called the most haunted place in Rockford...she would never go back there.)

The truth is that Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens is a vital piece of Rockford's history that deserves to be cared for and preserved for many generations to come, but right now it is facing an extremely serious problem.

Help Save Tinker Swiss Cottage

Rockford has been hit with some pretty hefty historical losses in the last year.

First, there was the demolition of the Elks Lodge, then the news that the Briggs Mansion will be torn down in May.

Will Tinker Swiss Cottage be the next Rockford landmark that we have to say goodbye to?

Here's the problem: Tinker Swiss Cottage was built in the late 1800s and sits on a limestone bluff that is quickly deteriorating.

As the limestone bluff shifts, it is pulling the Cottage's exterior staircase away from the building, and if this continues to happen it will cause major structural issues for the entire Cottage.

Repairing this problem is vital and will cost over $600,000. Help from the Rockford community is desperately needed.

Here's what worries me the most: This isn't a one building problem, it's becoming a pattern.

Historic places are getting torn down or struggling to survive, and the character of Rockford is fading with them.

The Rockford community needs to support places like Tinker Swiss Cottage by visiting, donating, or attending events. We need to back local preservation groups and speak up early about redevelopment plans, not when the wrecking ball is already scheduled.

There's still time to save Tinker Swiss Cottage, so please consider making a donation today here.