James Millikin Homestead

Fine Arts at the Homestead - Event 1 of 4
2025-01-26 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
In the first of our 4-Part Series, this event will feature Millikin Music Majors and a Millikin Alumnus! Admission is $10 per person. There will be a short intermission in between segments as well as light refreshments. After the event, all those in attendance will be able to tour the Homestead for FREE!

The Eidolan Woodwind Ensemble is the premier woodwind chamber ensemble at Millikin University and is comprised of the top students from their respective studios at the nomination of their teacher.

Eidolan Woodwind TrioIsabel Rimovsky, fluteBradley Rossbach, clarinetTabitha Barowsky, bassoon(Claire Taylor, faculty coach)

All three musicians participate in the Millikin Wind Symphony Ensemble, Millikin-Decatur Orchestra, and their respective instrument groups (flute/clarinet/bassoon ensembles)

Isabel RimovskyFlute Performance major/ history minor (2025) Besides Eidolan, MSWE, MDSO, and Flute Ensemble, she is a member of the Flute Society, Saturday Knights (a group for table-top role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons), and Gregory (Millikin’s tap dance group).

Bradley RossbachMusic Education, Instrumental Emphasis (2026) Besides Eidolan, MSWE, MDSO, and Clarinet Quartet, he is a member of the Jazz Band and coaches the Decatur Youth Symphony Clarinet Ensemble

Tabitha BarowksyHonors student, BA Music, English Studies, Writing minor, Jazz Certificate (2025) Besides Eidolan, MSWE, MDSO, and Bassoon Ensemble, she is in Jazz Combo II, Collage Publications (Lead Editor), Pi Beta Phi, Panhellenic Council (President), Student Affairs Assistant to Greek Life and Culture, Council of Student Advisors, Big Blue Ambassador, Big Blue Influencer, Senior Student Experience Ambassador

Jim Wilkerson, Local Author & Poet

Jim Wilkerson is a lifelong Decatur resident, a graduate of Mt. Zion High School and Millikin University. He is Director of Marketing at Vieweg Real Estate & Better Homes and Gardens Service First. He is Vice President of the James Millikin Homestead, Inc.

Jim published a book of poetry about his time at Millikin entitled “Millikin Poems: A Personal Look at College Life” in 1996. You can also find his work in Collage, The Decaturian, TKE Today, Quill & Parchment, Distilled Lives, and Inkwell.

Jim helped to start up the local group Decatur Area Poets and is on the board of directors for the Illinois State Poetry Society, and the Historic Decatur Foundation.

Fine Arts at the Homestead - Event 2 of 4
2025-02-23 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
In our 2nd part of this 4-part series, we feature local author and poet, Anastasia Lindsey, local student poets from the first ever Decatur-Wide High School Student Poetry Competition, and George Virgil, President of the Barn Colony Artists! Artwork will be on display! Admission is $10 per person. There will be a short intermission in between segments as well as light refreshments. After the event, all those in attendance will be able to tour the Homestead for FREE!

Anastasia Lindsey is an award-winning author & poet who published her first work of poetry, a book called OCEAN, in 2022 that explores topics of grief, the healing journey, pain, trauma, self-discovery, the transformational power of love, and is filled with many pages that include self-care activities for the reader to reflect and rest. She takes pride in launching herself into our unique and diverse world, to create poetic masterpieces that help us heal our hearts. Her soul is poured into her work and connects humanity, one poem at a time. She is also a photographer, singer, creative, and artist.

After Anastasia reads, we will feature three local student poets who won prizes during the first ever Decatur-wide high school student poetry competition in the fall of 2024.

The Barn Colony Artists have been going strong for decades, fostering the appreciation of art in our community. In the fall of 2024, Barn Colony Artists conducted a Plein Air event and painted local Decatur landscapes and landmarks. Those paintings will be on display at the Homestead and George Virgil, president of the group, will be speaking about the artwork and the group itself.

Fine Arts at the Homestead - Event 3 of 4
2025-03-30 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
In our 3rd part of this 4-part series, we feature the Dean of Liberal Arts from Richland Community College, Danielle Patricio, and harpist Stefanie Pansch. Admission is $10 per person. There will be a short intermission in between segments as well as light refreshments. After the event, all those in attendance will be able to tour the Homestead for FREE!

Danielle Patricio, editor of “The Forgotten Life of Sarah Grady” and granddaughter to author, Mary Lynn, is a proud Decatur native. She taught composition, literature, and creative writing at Millikin University, and now serves her beloved community as Dean of Liberal Arts at Richland Community College.

Stefanie Pansch is a musician by night and a cartographer by day. She has performed at a variety of occasions across Central Illinois including weddings, church services, high teas, and parties. In 2024 she gave a recital as part of the Fine Arts at the Homestead series. A Decatur native, her journey with bowed strings began at Parsons Elementary School with Mrs. Diana Rai, and her harp journey began at the Decatur Public Library with their copy of The Harp by Roslyn Rensch. She currently studies with Julia Jamieson, and she enjoys exploring unusual harp repertoire. She plays the violin and the cello in addition to the harp, and she also enjoys growing orchids and doing a variety of crafts.

JMH Annual Meeting Featuring Author, Dr. Robert Sampson
2025-04-17 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
You are all invited to our annual meeting to usher in a new year at the Homestead and hear from our featured guest, Dr. Robert Sampson! Be here by 6:00 pm so that you don’t miss anything! Here is more information regarding Dr. Sampson:

Bob Sampson is a former newspaper reporter who lived in Decatur for 50 years. He earned his Ph.D. in history at the University of Illinois and taught at Millikin University for 20 years. His first book, John L. O’Sullivan and His Times, was published in 2003 and his latest book earlier this year. Sampson served as a member and for two years as chair of the Macon County Board.

Sampson has published several articles in academic journals touching on 19th century events and persons in Decatur. The first addressed the 1894 Pullman Strike and Decatur’s role in it, including a brief appearance by James Millikin. Civil War era politics in Decatur and Macon County were addressed in an article tracing the political transformation of the area, including the mobbing of an editor at the intersection of Main and Water streets, the struggles of the city’s only Democratic-leaning paper, and the rough, no-holds-barred practices of the era’s journalism. Decatur played a role in the rise of base ball (as then spelled) in Illinois beginning in 1865 and a tournament in 1867 in what is now Fairview Park revealed serious fault lines in the game’s image. His remarks will draw upon all this research and new efforts on James B. Shoaff, a colorful editor who once served as Decatur’s mayor.

A first-ever history of early baseball in Illinois, Ballists, Dead Beats, and Muffins adds the Prairie State game’s unique shadings and colorful stories to the history of the national pastime.

Baseball’s spread across Illinois paralleled the sport’s explosive growth in other parts of the country. Robert D. Sampson taps a wealth of archival research to transport readers to an era when an epidemic of “baseball on the brain” raged from Alton to Yorkville. Focusing on the years 1865 to 1869, Sampson offers a vivid portrait of a game where local teams and civic ambition went hand in hand and teams of paid professionals displaced gentlemen’s clubs devoted to sporting fair play. This preoccupation with competition sparked rules disputes and controversies over imported players while the game itself mirrored society by excluding Black Americans and women. The new era nonetheless brought out paying crowds to watch the Rock Island Lively Turtles, Fairfield Snails, and other teams take the field up and down the state.

Fine Arts at the Homestead - Event 4 of 4
2025-04-27 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
This is our 4th and final part of this series! We will feature local educator and poet, Ron Lybarger, and local musician, Colleen Hillyer! Admission is $10 per person. There will be a short intermission in between segments as well as light refreshments. After the event there will be a free open house for anyone who attended the event!

Ron Lybarger has been a Decatur Public School Language Arts teacher for 20 years. He has sponsored and facilitated the Veritas Creative Writing Club at Eisenhower High School for the past 16 years as well as coached Poetry Out Loud contestants for the past 13 years. He enjoys writing poetry and cultivating growth in his students.

Poetry is the language of souls and that “soulspeak” creates a wonderful communion of minds and hearts.

Nature and Relationships are my often muses. Exemplifying the Love of God is my passion and speaking Life and Truth into situations and trauma is my mission.

Colleen Hillyer, a Decatur native, earned her Bachelor of Music from Millikin University, a Master of Music from West Virginia University, and did postgraduate coursework at Shenandoah University, all with a concentration in flute performance. She has had the privilege to study with renowned flutists, including Mr. Jonathan Snowden (Royal Philharmonic), Dr. John McMurtery (NYC Opera), Dr. Francesca Arnone, Mr. Bernard Goldberg (Pittsburgh Symphony), Dr. Francis Lapp Averitt (Maryland Symphony) and Dr. Laurie Glencross. Colleen is working on a master’s in education from the University of Mary.

Colleen teaches instrumental music at St. Teresa High School and has served on faculty at Lincoln Land Community College, Our Lady of Lourdes and Holy Family Catholic Schools. She is a freelance musician in Central Illinois and often performs with the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra. When not performing, Colleen maintains an active flute studio, promotes educational opportunities for kids, serves on the Board of Directors of the Decatur Choral Society, is an advisor for the Millikin University and University of Illinois Chapters of Alpha Chi Omega. She is married to her husband, Ed, and they enjoy hanging with their dogs Avery, Buoy and Splash.

Open House for Historic Preservation Week
2025-05-17 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
During Historic Preservation Week, come to our FREE Open House, tour the Homestead, and check out our new exhibit, The History of Lace!

Lace! From the 1500’s through the end of the 1800’s lace was the way to show your wealth and sophistication! Dive into the History of Lace exhibit at the Millikin Homestead and learn about construction techniques, style development across different countries, the economic role and the revival of forgotten hand crafts in the early and mid-twentieth century. See examples of handmade needle (point) lace and bobbin lace. Delve into the role of Irish Crochet lace, as it recaptured early Venetian Rose Point Lace, to survive the Irish Potato Famine.

Open House and Fine Art Display (Vote for Your Favorite!)
2025-07-26 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Come and see the Homestead when it is FILLED WITH FINE ART from area artists! There will be an open house on Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27th from 2-4 pm on both days. This is the first annual Lucien Kapp Art Competition and YOU get to vote on YOUR favorite work of art. There is a $5.00 admission for every visitor (all ages) and ALL AGES get to vote! Proceeds go to the preservation of the Homestead. This will be a truly special event! Then later in August we will have another open house to unveil the winners! We will be giving away $1,000 in prizes, and artists have until June 30th to enter. More details can be found here: https://jamesmillikinhomestead.com/lucienkapp

Open House & Fine Art Display (Vote for Your Favorite!)
2025-07-27 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States

Open House & Announcement of Winners!
2025-08-31 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Come tour the Homestead, see some beautiful Fine Art and find out the winners of the first annual Lucien Kapp Art Competition! No Admission Cost, but a recommended donation of $5 per person.

The 83rd Illinois, Wyatt Earp, John Wayne and the Unique Historical Connections of the Civil War in Western Illinois
2025-11-09 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Dr. Eugene Watkins will present from 1-2 pm and then from 2-4 pm there will be a public open house. $5 admission per person. Those who attend the presentation do not need to pay for the open house. For this special, one-day event, a number of Civil War artifacts will be on display in our History Room, on loan from the Macon County History Museum!

ABOUT DR. WATKINS
Dr. Watkins holds a PhD in United States history, focusing on the Early Republic, from the University of Toledo, a MA in Civil War and Reconstruction from the University of Richmond and a BA in United States History from Millikin University. He worked for the Ohio Historical Society at its Fort Meigs site for about five years and then became director of Old Fort Madison in Fort Madison, IA, where he worked for about fifteen years. Dr. Watkins has been the Pattee Executive Director of the Warren County History Museum in Monmouth, IL for the past two years.

The 83rd Illinois, Wyatt Earp, John Wayne and the Unique Historical Connections of the Civil War in Western Illinois.

Dr. Watkins’ lecture will use the experiences of the 83rd Illinois, an infantry regiment recruited heavily from Warren County, as a window to highlight unique people and events in the Civil War associated with Illinois, that many times go unnoticed in the larger picture of that great conflict’s story.

Cookies and Carols at the Homestead / Christmas Open House
2025-12-14 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Come see the Homestead all dressed up for Christmas, in the evening when the lights glow! Join in singing Christmas carols with the Memory Keepers Chorus, all while you enjoy some cookies, all for Free! (Donations always accepted!)

Christmas Open House
2025-12-21 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | IL
Come see the Homestead all dressed up for Christmas at our Christmas Open House on Sunday, December 21st from 1-3 PM! This a free event with free refreshments! If we get bad weather within a few days of the event, be sure to check our Facebook page for any udpates or possible cancellation. We hope to see you!

February Fine Arts & Open House
2026-02-22 13:00 - 17:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
*Fine Arts will be from 1-3 pm ($10 Admission) Then a Public Open House will follow from 3-5 pm ($5 Admission for Ages 12+, Under 12 are Free) Also, if you pay the $10 admission for the Fine Arts portion, your open house is FREE.

About our Featured Poet, Debbi Brody
Debbi Brody conducts poetry workshops and readings throughout the USA to writers age five through ninety-five. She publishes frequently in regional and national and international literary journals and anthologies. Her first collection, “Portraits in Poetry,” (Village Books Press, Oklahoma, 2006), as well as her chapbook,”FreeForm” are out of print. Her recent chapbooks, “Awe in the Muddle”, “Walking the Arroyo” and her 2015 collection “In Everything Birds,” which won a Margaret Randall Book Prize for Poetry (Village Books Press, Oklahoma, 2015) are available through artqueen58@aol.com.

About our Featured Musicians, The Millikin Flute Trio

Erica Edwards is from Taylorville, Illinois. She is an Instrumental Music Education and Flute Performance major, and is also pursuing a Conducting Certificate. Erica is involved in the Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra, the Millikin Symphonic WindEnsemble, Millikin Eidolan Ensemble, and the Millikin Flute Choir. She also works as the social media chair for the Millikin Symphonic Wind Ensemble and as an instructor for flute and piano through the Millikin Community Arts Academy. After her time at Millikin, Eric is going to graduate school for Flute Performance. She then plans on finding a teaching job in the Chicago area while maintaining a steady flow of auditions.

Ashlee Marin is a sophomore at Millikin University studying Music Education and Special Education. She is Vice President of the Flute Society, a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, a member of Dissonance Acapella, a member of the Millikin Symphonic Winds Ensemble, and a member of Millikin’s Flute Ensemble. Ashlee is a first-generation student of immigrants who came from Mexico, and music has been a big part of her culture and life. She is the oldest of 7 siblings, with the oldest of her younger brothers having autism. She has learned to love everything about music andstudents, especially special education. Ashlee’s dream is to have a small band comprising special education students.

Matilda Newport, from Sheboygan Wisconsin, is currently a freshman instrumental performance major at Millikin University. She has been playing the flute for about eight years, and is currently performing in Millikin’s symphonic wind and flute ensembles. As a performance major, she hopes to have a future focused on performing in symphonies and pit orchestras

March Fine Arts & Open House
2026-03-29 13:00 - 17:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
*Fine Arts will be from 1-3 pm ($10 Admission) Then a Public Open House will follow from 3-5 pm ($5 Admission for Ages 12+, Under 12 are Free) Also, if you pay the $10 admission for the Fine Arts portion, your open house is FREE.

About our Featured poet, Randy Stewart II
Randy fell in love with poetry at an early age thanks to finding a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends at a garage sale in the early 90s. He has been hooked ever since. His writing takes many forms, some of which are on display in his 2013 self-published compilation, “The View Through: Poetry and Works.”
Currently he is working on his second book of poetry called New Prescription, coming in 2025. When he’s not reading or writing, he can be found indulging in any of his various muses; fishing and dreaming with his wife, watching movies and playing games with his kids, working on podcasts with his brothers, or basking in the adoration of a very handsome cat named Steve.

About the Decatur Camera Club
Hosted by photographer, Bill Hoffman, the Decatur Camera Club will present: “A photographer’s view of Central Illinois Historical Sites,” as viewed and taken by members of the Decatur Camera Club. Discussion of photographs will be explained by the submitting photographer.

JMH Annual Meeting with Special Guest, Dan Monroe
2026-04-23 17:30 - 18:30 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Our Annual Meeting, open to the general public, will begin at 5:30 with a short informational meeting, then our featured speaker, Millikin History Professor, Dan Monroe, will speak about Abraham Lincoln! This is a FREE event!

April Fine Arts & Open House
2026-04-26 13:00 - 17:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
Fine Arts will be from 1-3 pm ($10 Admission) Then a Public Open House will follow from 3-5 pm ($5 Admission for Ages 12+, Under 12 are Free) Also, if you pay the $10 admission for the Fine Arts portion, your open house is FREE.

About our Featured Poet, Roy Roberts
I have been paid for a variety of undertakings during my curious safaris into the brambles. My parents and I farmed. I drove truck and did odd jobs for a lumber yard – including cutting glass and grass. I have been a preacher, a pastor, an English teacher of high school students, an adjunct professor of philosophy and medical ethics. For the past nine years, my wife and I have worked our produce farm on the land where I grew up. The one constant braided through every endeavor has been my ache to write. It pushes, fusses with, and entices me. It fidgets with drumming fingers and tapping feet, fizzing incessantly: “Try to dig up and ship out what you have sifted during your mountain summits, your ragged tumbles down gravel slopes, your struggles to regain footing.”
All of this is the meat and bone of my poems – and essays. I invite you to join my pursuit. My first book, Wrestling Thunderbolts, is available on Amazon (search Wrestling Thunderbolts Roberts). My second book, Tree Line, should be ready for release in early 2025. – Roy Roberts

About our Featured Musician, Isidora Nojkovic
Praised for her “great control” (Chicago Classical Review), cellist Isidora Nojkovic is an active soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. She has a passion for contemporary music and commissioning, having premiered over 50 works, and is one half of the contemporary violin/cello duo Orbit (“the new cross-continental duo to pay attention to.” – Classical Post). A founding member of Varo String Quartet, she also performs regularly with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Symphony, Illinois Symphony, Vancouver’s Turning Point Ensemble, and the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra. She has completed two tours with Lincoln Center Stage, performing in twenty-two countries as part of a piano quintet.

The Original Big Blue: The Life and Time of James Millikin
2026-04-29 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | Albert Taylor Theatre, 1184 W. Main, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin

Documentary Film Premiere
Albert Taylor Theatre
Tickets — $19.01
In a time when Decatur, Illinois was still in its infancy. Before automobiles, before electricity, even before paved roads. Long before other great titans of industry arrived. One young man came with nothing but determination and a vision.
This is a story of immigration and perseverance, of love, ambition and unwavering resolve. A story of a family who crossed oceans and frontiers, turning challenges into opportunity and generosity into legacy. From the hills of Scotland and Ireland to the rugged trails of western Pennsylvania, from driving sheep and cattle, to building a career in banking and helping shape a university that would change generations.
This is the story of grit and purpose – of a legacy that still defines a community 200 years later.
Discover the journey, meet the historians, and be inspired by the man who helped build Decatur.
The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin…
https://youtu.be/nmNMy66CFjw
Ticket proceeds will go toward MU and the Homestead.
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office, in-person, Tuesday through Friday, 12pm-4:30pm or online at: https://millikin.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1840
Accessible seating is available by calling the Kirkland Ticket Office at (217) 424-6318

The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin
2026-05-03 14:00 - 17:00 UTC | Albert Taylor Theatre, 1184 W. Main, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin
Documentary Film Premiere

Albert Taylor Theatre
Tickets — $19.01
In a time when Decatur, Illinois was still in its infancy. Before automobiles, before electricity, even before paved roads. Long before other great titans of industry arrived. One young man came with nothing but determination and a vision.
This is a story of immigration and perseverance, of love, ambition and unwavering resolve. A story of a family who crossed oceans and frontiers, turning challenges into opportunity and generosity into legacy. From the hills of Scotland and Ireland to the rugged trails of western Pennsylvania, from driving sheep and cattle, to building a career in banking and helping shape a university that would change generations.
This is the story of grit and purpose – of a legacy that still defines a community 200 years later.
Discover the journey, meet the historians, and be inspired by the man who helped build Decatur.
The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin.
https://youtu.be/nmNMy66CFjw
Ticket proceeds will go toward MU and the Homestead.
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office, in-person, Tuesday through Friday, 12pm-4:30pm. Or online at: https://millikin.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1841
Accessible seating is available by calling the Kirkland Ticket Office at (217) 424-6318

Open House During Historic Preservation Week
2026-05-16 11:00 - 13:00 UTC | James Millikin Homestead, 125 N Pine st, Decatur, IL, 62522, United States
The Homestead will be open for Historic Preservation Week! This will be a FREE OPEN HOUSE!
Our documentary, “The Original Big Blue” will be showing at the Lincoln Square Theatre at 2:00 PM on the same day! Tickets will be available soon – keep an eye on the film page for details.
