McHenry County is renowned for its spectacular barns. They stand proudly among farm fields on the countryside — some are still in use.

Occasionally, a relic remains as new construction is built around it. Too often, however, they are torn down and built over, forever erasing traditions of our agricultural roots.
Visiting these local treasures is one way to establish a connection to and an appreciation of these historic landmarks. A local group, McHenry County Historical Barn Preservation Association (MCHBPA), makes it easy and enjoyable for the public to see unique barns around the county.

“Our autumn tour is probably one of the best barn tours anywhere in the country,” President John Hammer said.

Spreading the Word
MCHBPA has been striving since its inception in 1997 to inform the public of the value of preserving McHenry County’s barns.

“That year, a group of passionate barn enthusiasts formed a committee to plan the McHenry County Barn Tour in support of the Smithsonian Museum’s traveling Year of the Barn exhibit that was on loan to the McHenry County Historical Society,” Hammer said. “The tour was a huge success and more importantly exposed the desire of the community to preserve one of its most valued resources: its beautiful barns. The barn tour planning committee recognized a continued need for a group focused on barn preservation, and began the process of setting up the 501(c)(3) nonprofit association.”

The organization’s mission, he said, is simple: to promote the preservation of barns in McHenry County. It is estimated that we once had approximately 5,000 to 6,000 barns. Today only 10 percent (500 to 600) have survived. “Most of these barns are located in the western half of the county where urban sprawl has not totally erased our agricultural heritage,” Hammer said.   

Why Barns?
McHenry County has some of the richest agricultural soils in the country, and for that reason it was once the dairy capital of the Midwest. “Our county’s barns are the architecture that housed these dairy and agricultural operations that allowed this county to prosper,” Hammer said.

“We have just a short amount of time to preserve what is left of these great agricultural cathedrals before they are gone forever,” he added. “We strive to seize the opportunity to pass along our agricultural heritage for future generations to witness, understand and cherish.”

The Tour
The Annual Barn Tour is a community event that helps bring awareness to the urgent plight of the McHenry County barn.

“Over the years, the MCHBPA has refined and improved the tour,”  Hammer said. “The tour is an all-day event where up to three motor coach buses filled with passionate barn lovers venture into McHenry County’s countryside to see some pre-selected barns in the county.”

Annually, the tour features barns in different parts of the county so that eventually, each township’s barns will receive some exposure, and so that each year the tour is unique. The all-day event usually features between eight and 10 barns and runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. “We offer first-class transportation, delicious meals and other entertainment such as live music and slide shows during lunch to make the day extremely enjoyable,” Hammer said.

Last year’s 6th Annual McHenry County Barn Tour was titled “Saving Our Barns — On the Edge of Development” and featured barns located in two townships — Grafton and Dorr along the Route 47 corridor. “These areas have experienced much development over recent years and are vivid examples of the damaging effects that annexation and insensitive development can have on our rural heritage,” Hammer said.

The tour began in Huntley and featured the ongoing preservation efforts by the Huntley Park District on the Stowell-Deicke/Spring Valley Barn. The Stowell-Deicke/Spring Valley Barn dates back to 1830 and is believed to be the oldest barn in McHenry County. Other barns featured on last year’s tour were the Fitzgerald Barn, Williams-Borhart Homestead Farm barns, Walnut Grove Farm barns, Lumberjack Firewood Barn and the Susanke Barn.

Each year, the MCHBPA Barn Tour receives raves from the tour participants. “Most tour-goers return each year and many that participated in the first tour haven’t missed one since,” Hammer said. “The barn tour fills very quickly, so reservations must be made well in advance.”  

The 7th Annual McHenry County Barn Tour is scheduled for October 2, 2010. The tour is in the preliminary stages of planning, and will feature barns in the far northwest part of the county in Chemung and Alden Townships. More information will be available shortly, and Hammer recommends checking the MCHBPA Web site (www.mchenrycountybarns.org) periodically for tour information and a registration form.

In addition to the barn tours, MCHBPA seeks community support in a number of ways. “We encourage people to become members, donate and/or volunteer time on one of our many projects,” Hammer said. n

For more, visit www.mchenrycountybarns.org or write to MCHBPA, P.O. Box 1143, Woodstock, IL 60098.

Sidebar: To Learn More
•    McHenry County Historic Preservation Commission
•    McHenry County Historical Society
•    The Barn Journal
•    National Trust for Historic Preservation
•    McHenry County Barn Quilt Program