Warrenville Mercantile officially launched November 1, 2025 at Leone Schmidt Heritage Park (28W164 Warrenville Road) with a ribbon cutting and naming ceremony.
Remarks by City of Warrenville Community and Economic Development Director Amy Emery from the ceremony:
Once part of what was called East Old Town. We are on the east side of the river.
And this exact location that you're standing on today was originally developed by Hiram Leonard, who, if you follow the Historical Society and the weekly journals, the entries they put out, those are his journals from this space right here.
He opened an apothecary here in 1842 and it expanded over the years for dry goods and for groceries and for hardware and just general retail operations.
He became the postmaster of Warrenville in 1861 and this location was our postal home until his death in 1878.
His shop building remained here at this site and it evolved over time. It became a carriage trimming shop, a pool room, a cigar store, and even a cider establishment. Maybe something a little stronger than cider was being served.
The building was eventually torn down and it became, this property became part of the Player Dairy, which is why the Mayor rang the cowbell for you this morning, homage to the dairy.
In 2011, the City acquired the property and named it in honor of Leone Schmidt.
Leone was the first historian here in Warrenville and she wrote not one, two, three, four, five, but SIX books about the beautiful history of this community.
And I believe as we've kind of looked at the history of this site, we are bringing history back to life again and if Leone was here, I think she would be so proud to see this opportunity for the people of Warrenville to come together to support our local businesses and to bring what was once here so long ago back to this site, a vibrant commercial space.
What is Warrenville Mercantile?
The Mercantile features custom-built shop spaces for rotating local vendors, bringing fresh shopping, food, and family fun to downtown Warrenville.
Soft Launch Weekends - We thank the following vendors for being part of our first two events:
Saturday, October 25 · 1:00–4:00 p.m.
- Dandelion Atelier – bath care
- Briarwood Beads – beaded suncatchers
- DM Design – handmade character pens
- Tala’s Trinkets – crochet items
- Boy Scouts of America – popcorn and wreaths
Saturday, November 1 · 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
- Chalkcouture/Majorcreations – home décor and gifts
- London Skye – hat & charm bar
- Bada Bling Crystals and Crystal Candles – crystals and crystal jewelry
- The Craft Shack – hot chocolate bombs
- Emma’s Extensions – hair tinsel and glitter services
- Clay Space Artists – ceramics
- Quickfire – fire starters
The soft launch featured temporary market tents will be set up along a cement patio area, and two vendor units on the property. Eventually, there will be eight vendor sheds on the site.
Future Plans:
Warrenville Mercantile is designed to give vendors more than a place to sell goods. Plans include mentorship opportunities and partnerships with local financial institutions to help entrepreneurs learn how to be a successful retailer and eventually move their way from the market to a more permanent space,
The project is supported by a $25,000 grant from DuPage County’s Member Initiative Program, which will reimburse the City for start-up costs.
Stay Updated:
Future ideas for the site include a pavilion for dining and a flex pavilion that could host classes, small concerts, community activities, or even morning yoga. And stay tuned for details on the 2026 season!