Restored barn celebrates Deer Park history

Though the restoration of the Vehe Barn in Deer Park took longer than expected, the finished product couldn't come at a more fitting time.

Today's celebration of the village's 50th anniversary is also a showcase for the 19th-century barn, whose painstaking reconstruction was four years and a few setbacks in the making.

In 1999, Deer Park bought the 14.7-acre Vehe Farm with the intent of keeping a chunk of open land in the village.

Besides the open space, Deer Park Village President Scott Gifford said local leaders wanted a gathering place for the community. So they decided to renovate the massive barn into a community and municipal center.

"We wanted to restore and maintain a piece of history," he said. "We also saw the additional value in having a multipurpose center for our community."

In 1866, John L. Vehe and his wife, Anna, purchased the farm. In 1930, it was left to their grandson Edwin who, with his wife, Mae Brandt, spent their lives on the farm growing crops, raising dairy cows and selling eggs.

After Mae Brandt Vehe died in 1999, the village bought the land, including the main barn, a milk house, two corn cribs, two machine sheds and a chicken coop, for about $900,000.

Most of the money to buy the property and restore the barn came from grants and private donations, Gifford said.

While final numbers are still being tallied, he said it cost about $175 per square foot to restore the three-story 6,542-square-foot barn, or about $1.15 million.

Gifford said building a new structure from scratch would have cost closer to $250 per square foot.

What was originally filled with hay and cows is now a fully functioning community center, complete with space for cultural art and educational programs, museum exhibits, meetings, a reception area for up to 120 guests and full catering kitchen.

"It looks phenomenal," Pat Winkelman, president of the Vehe Farm Foundation, said. "By preserving the feel of the barn, people are just in awe when they walk in."

The barn's restoration began in 2003 and was scheduled to be finished by the end of 2004.

But the project was plagued by delays that finally pushed the village to fire its original contractor earlier this year and hire Pepper Construction to finish the job.

"Pepper Construction has come in and done a fantastic job of finishing it," Winkelman said.

Jim Peterson, former Deer Park village president and Vehe Farm Foundation member, said he understands that, after so many setbacks, the community might be skeptical about the project. But he's confident they'll like what they see with the finished barn.

"It was a grind, but I think at this point it is coming out how we all hoped it would," he said.

Part of what makes the barn special is it still has some of its original materials, like its original beams, Winkelman said.

"We wanted to keep the integrity of the barn," she said.

She also believes the finished product was worth the long wait.

"It has been worth every minute," Winkelman said.

Peterson said the barn's shape, its hardwood floors and top-notch sound system make it an ideal place for musical performances.

"I am living for the day when I can go see a string quartet in there," he said.

Besides all its other uses, Vehe Barn will also be the new home for Deer Park Village Board meetings.

"It always seemed to me that a village of our size ought to have a municipal facility that has multiple purposes," Peterson said.

Gifford will officially dedicate the renovated barn at a ceremony scheduled for 3:30 p.m. today. It's part of an anniversary celebration that will run from noon to 5 p.m. today also featuring musical performances, historical displays, children's activities, tours and even a sunflower seed spitting contest. For further details, see village.deer-park.il.us.

Vehe farm is located at 23570 W. Cuba Road.

Vehe Farm through the years

• 1866: John L. Vehe and his wife Anna purchase the farm.

• 1902: John Vehe dies, leaves the farm to sons William and Frederick.

• 1920: William Vehe transfers his half to brother Frederick.

• 1930: The farm is passed down to Frederick Vehe's son Edwin and his wife Mae.

• 1988: Edwin Vehe dies.

• 1999: Mae Vehe dies; the property is sold to Deer Park.

• 2003: Work on the Vehe Barn restoration is started.

• 2007: The restored Vehe Barn is opened to the public.

Source: Vehe Farm Foundation