Wadsworth still cherishes country living
Known as “The Village of Country Living,” Wadsworth offers a rural ambiance that attracts many buyers who want a large custom home on one or two acres.
The village has seen a lot of custom homes with 2,500 or more square feet and all the upscale amenities go up during the last 20 years, said Larry Desmond, a broker with Century 21 Maki United.
Although custom homes are a big draw, the town offers a variety of homes. Larry Jones, broker and owner of Wadsworth Realty, sums it up: On the west side of Route 41 and north of Wadsworth Road, there are some very nice custom homes with 1,400 to 5,000 square feet; to the east, some of the older subdivisions in the original area of town have medium-priced homes from $195,000 to $400,000; and some of the newer homes will go from $350,000 to more than $1 million.
Minimum home sites are 1 acre with the exception of one area with 30 to 40 homes where lots are three-quarters of an acre.
It's nice you can have your privacy and still be 10 minutes away from the overpopulated areas, Jones said.
“We like to think of Wadsworth as a more laid-back Lake Forest. But I'm a little biased because I've lived here for more than 20 years.”
It's a community where everyone knows everyone, and, if you need something, you can count on your neighbors to help you out, he said.
The community has kept the lid on commercialization with just a few strip malls on Route 41 and a nice new 10-store shopping center. There are no big box stores, Desmond said.
Everyone likes to see improvements in the community within reason, Jones said. “And although (municipal) sewer and water would be a nice luxury, it brings a lot of possible development that might impose on the ambience of the area.”
Rather than a municipal water system, homes are on private wells and septic systems.
Residents of Wadsworth enjoy the peaceful, natural settings of forest preserves that almost frame the village. Besides walking trails, the preserves offer the opportunity to meet new friends and get involved in a variety of outdoor activities including “work days.” For work days, all you need is a good pair of work gloves and the desire to make a contribution to the community.
For good eating, Wadsworth has some restaurants that have been around for years. The Shanty and Captain Porky's are both popular restaurants. The Shanty has been featured on Food Network's “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” And Savanna is a newer restaurant, one or two years old, with kind of a Cheers atmosphere, Jones said.
“The Duck Inn is an icon tavern in the downtown area that's been here for I'm 56 years old, and it's been here longer than I have. Farmers come in and swap stories; it's a nice gathering place for everyone.”
A few big attractions sit near Wadsworth. In Old Mill Creek, rolling hills provide a perfect landscape for the Lipizzan horses of Tempel Farms. Tempel Farms is the only stable in the United States where the Lipizzans are bred, trained and perform on the same property.
Besides a regular performance schedule, the stable offers off-season tours beginning Oct. 1 by appointment only. During the one-hour guided tour of the training facility, visitors will learn about the history and intricate training of Europe's oldest breed of domesticated horses. The white Lipizzan horses perform to classical music and have entertained presidents, kings and royalty.
In unincorporated Warren Township, a bizarre roadside attraction is an image out of the Nile River Valley and the ancient land of pharaohs The Golden Pyramid. The Golden Pyramid was built as a private home in 1977 by Jim and Linda Onan. The lavish home is a 17,000-square-foot, six-story structure containing a replica of King Tut's tomb. The walled property also features a triple-pyramid garage and a great 64-foot tall statue of Ramses. The house and grounds are no longer open to visitors, but can be seen from outside the gate.