Carol Stream farmhouse opens for historical tours

A Carol Stream arts and crafts fair offers locals plenty of things to shop for, such as antiques, jewelry, books and cosmetics. But it also comes with a history lesson.

The seventh annual Market Place, hosted by the Carol Stream Historical Society, is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at the village’s Historic Farmhouse, 301 Lies Road.

In addition to the 16 vendors selling their wares outside on the farmhouse grounds, the society will offer tours inside the late 19th century-era house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It’s an opportunity for residents to learn about their town’s 52-year history and delve further into the area’s early German roots.

“People are very interested in the house,” said Barb O’Rahilly, the society’s president and a 50-year resident of Carol Stream.

The house is a throwback to the late 1800s, when German immigrants farmed the area that later became Carol Stream. The Stark family first owned the house.

“Their livelihood was the farm,” O’Rahilly said. “The German farmer was very good about farming and very modern in his day.”

Later, the land around the house was used as a dairy farm between the 1940s and 1980s.

As a result, restoration decorators have reflected various time periods in different rooms of the house. For example, the kitchen is 1950s style — the way it would have been when dairy farmers lived there.

The dining area and hearth room are complete with furniture, wallpaper and carpeting that replicates how houses of 19th century local immigrants looked, O’Rahilly said.

On the second floor, an exhibit room features a decade-by-decade look at the history of Carol Stream since it was incorporated in 1959.

“People who haven’t lived here for a long time or people wanting to know a little bit more about Carol Stream can look at the exhibits and have a feel for how it all started and how things have grown,” O’Rahilly said.

The tours of the farmhouse are free. Vendor fees and proceeds from the historical society’s used book sale will help fund upkeep of the house, exhibits and archives.

If you go

What: Carol Stream Historical Society Market Place

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10; tours of the Historic Farmhouse offered 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Historic Farmhouse, 301 Lies Road (west of Hampe Park), Carol Stream

Info: carolstreamhistorical.com