Project searches for pre-1860 farmhouses in Sangamon County

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Officials in Sangamon County are looking to identify farmhouses built before the Civil War that are on operating farms.

The project to find the farmhouses was launched by the Sangamon County Historic Preservation Commission and the Sangamon County Farm Bureau, the (Springfield) State Journal-Register (http://bit.ly/1YuVruR ) reports.

"These historic farmhouses represent generations of hard work and dedication to the land and the community," said Sangamon County Farm Bureau President Larry Beaty. "It is important to recognize our local farms that have survived and continue to operate into a new millennium."

The project asks that the farmhouse owners or people familiar with the buildings submit evidence of construction taking place before 1860. The commission would verify evidence and give certificates to farmhouse owners, with the owner of the oldest one getting a plaque.

Commission chairman Chuck Pell said he guesses there are probably more than 20 such farmhouses in the county. He said the project was started as a way to expand the inventory of the county's historic resources, but also to "instill a sense of pride in the county's agricultural history."

The commission had been working on the idea for a few months, Pell said.

"The county has deep agricultural roots, and we wanted to play off that," he said.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com