Sundial replica found for Fabyan preserve

After 15 years of searching, the Friends of Fabyan finally found a sundial to replace the historic sundial that used to be on the grounds of the Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva.

The concrete and metal sundial, with a 15-inch octagonal face like the original, will be installed in the spring when the weather warms, said Darlene Larson, co-president of the organization. It's unclear what happened to the original, which sat on a pedestal in the center of the property's rose arbor since 1910.

"It was removed from the pedestal years ago," Larson said. "It's been gone since the '50s or '60s."

Members of the group plan to ask the forest preserve commission for permission to dedicate the sundial to the son of a former cook who grew up on the Fabyan Estate, then known as Riverbank Estate.

"I remember playing around that sundial when I was a kid," said Jan Carlson, chairman of the Kane County Forest Preserve's utilization committee. The committee heard an update Thursday on the Friends of Fabyan's activities.

The organization also is in the process of restoring the preserve's historic garage complex. Forest preserve officials considered demolishing the structure in 2003 until Friends of Fabyan stepped forward to restore it.

Built in 1912, the garage is an Arts and Crafts-style building with a unique turntable device that rotates a car 180 degrees so it faces the opposite direction it enters. The wealthy Col. George Fabyan and his wife, Nelle, commissioned the turntable at a time when most people didn't have cars, let alone garages.

A new roof has been installed; the next step is adding new shingles and siding.