June 5 barbecue to benefit 123-year-old Aurora schoolhouse

Big Woods School Foundation will hold a drive-thru barbecue dinner fundraiser Saturday, June 5. It will be 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 123-year-old Big Woods School, 3033 N. Eola Road in Aurora.

The public is invited. Proceeds will benefit renovation of the one-room schoolhouse built in 1917-18.

Dinner choices are half chicken, two pork chops or a combination. Sides are apple sauce, baked beans, cole slaw and roll and butter. Meals are prepared by 5B's Catering of Waterman.

Tickets are $15. To order, call (630) 460-7193 or (630) 202-8206 or order online at bigwoodsschool.org.

Big Woods School Foundation is a nonprofit organization.

The Big Woods School replaced the original Big Woods School, which was built in the mid-1800s and had fallen into disrepair. The red brick school building has a craftsman design.

It was one of the first schoolhouses in DuPage County, built after Illinois' Sanitation Law of 1915, which created a set of modern safety and sanitation standards for the state's public schools. The school's plan is essentially the same as that recommended by the state, with considerations for playground space, lighting, ventilation, and indoor plumbing.

In 1963, the school closed due to consolidation with two nearby schools and the building was sold to a private owner. It is now owned by Big Woods School Foundation, an Aurora-based nonprofit preservation group.

The schoolhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 2016.

For information, call (630) 460-7193 or visit bigwoodsschool.org,