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DuPage forest preserve to decide fate of several buildings

DuPage forest preserve will decide fate of three buildings

DuPage County Forest Preserve commissioners may decide Tuesday whether a landmark structure near Glen Ellyn should be demolished or preserved along with other district-owned buildings.

The board is scheduled to review “treatment options” for three buildings — the Greene Farm Barn in Greene Valley Forest Preserve near Naperville, the Ben Fuller House at Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve in Oak Brook, and the McKee House in Churchill Woods Forest Preserve near Glen Ellyn.

Staff members are recommending “rehabilitation” for the Ben Fuller House and Greene Farm Barn, but demolition of the McKee House.

“The staff has presented options and backed them up,” Executive Director Michael Hullihan said Monday. “Now the board has to set the policy of what we actually do.”

The review comes after the district hired the architectural and engineering firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates to evaluate the buildings and determine their cultural significance and general condition.

Of the three, the McKee House along St. Charles Road is in the worst shape.

The two-story limestone house and a neighboring administration building were built in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. The forest preserve used the administration building as its headquarters between 1936 and 1982.

The house originally was used by Robert McKee, the district's first superintendent. It became a guard house in 1996. The house has been vacant since 2002.

Both structures were spared from the wrecking ball in 2006 but are in disrepair.

Needed repairs to the McKee House would cost roughly $461,000. There also would be an annual expense of $8,000 to $16,000 a year to operate and maintain it.

In addition, the building would need to be brought into code compliance for life safety and occupancy requirements. That would cost an additional $1 million to $1.5 million.

Because the restoration would be so expensive and there's no identified use for the building, staff is recommending it be demolished and a monument be installed to document its cultural significance.

Unlike the McKee House, officials say the Ben Fuller House is in fair condition and should remain at York and Spring roads.

Built between 1837 and 1840, the farmhouse was the home of Ben Fuller, one of the area's first settlers. To save the house from demolition, the structure was moved in 1981 to its present location.

Officials hope the house can be restored and used as a museum featuring history about the building.

Officials say that “adaptive reuse” would cost more than $750,000 and “is not realistic to achieve without a group to fund, support and operate the facility.” No partner group has come forward.

As a result, staff members are recommending the building be stabilized “for the scenic pleasure and enjoyment” of residents.

That would require the district to do about $19,600 worth of work to the house and set aside $4,000 to $8,000 a year for maintenance.

Once the repairs are made, the building would be ready for further improvements if an outside group comes forward.

Officials are recommending a similar plan for the Greene Farm Barn and Oak Cottage at Greene and Hobson roads.

The central portion of the farmhouse was built for William Briggs Greene in 1850. The exact date of the barn's construction is unknown.

Once the largest barn in DuPage, the L-shaped structure included a corn crib, wagon shed, granary and animal pens. The forest preserve acquired the farmhouse and barn in 1971.

In 2012, the district completed a $1.1 million stabilization of the barn that included replacement of the main floor structure and roof.

So far, the farm has been only an aesthetic feature for people using the bike trail around the Greene Valley Forest Preserve.

Preparing the buildings so they could be used by the public would cost more than $4.5 million, officials said.

It wouldn't be possible to raise that kind of money without help from an outside group and no group has come forward in the past 30 years, officials said.

Still, staff members are recommending the buildings remain “for the scenic pleasure and enjoyment” of residents.

That would require the district to spend about $26,400 on rehabilitation work. It also would need to set aside $17,200 to $34,400 a year for maintenance.

The Ben Fuller House at Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve in Oak Brook could someday be used by the public if a group steps forward to contribute money to restore it. Daily Herald file photo
The Greene Farm Barn has long been an aesthetic feature in Greene Valley Forest Preserve near Naperville. Officials say it would cost millions of dollars to open the building to the public. Daily Herald file photo
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