Funding approved for McKee House study

Money originally set aside for demolishing a landmark house at Churchill Woods Forest Preserve near Glen Ellyn now could play a role in saving the building.

The DuPage Forest Preserve Commission on Tuesday agreed to use $100,000 that was supposed to pay for the demolition of the McKee House to hire an architectural firm to study the possibility of saving the Depression-era home at the preserve along St. Charles Road.

Forest preserve President D. Dewey Pierotti proposed the study after saying he doesn’t believe local preservationists have enough information to properly raise money to restore the two-story limestone building and a second building that once housed the district’s first headquarters.

Both buildings were spared from the wrecking ball in 2006, but preservationists still are fearful the structures could be razed.

The group Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation is planning to find funding to restore both buildings. Officials say the planned architectural study could help the group decide if the structures can be saved.