RECENT HISTORY
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The McKee House structures are one of the most important historic sites in DuPage County. Proponents of restoring and re-adapting them had fought a decade-long, uphill battle to avoid the threat of demolition. In their favor, two extensive studies of the main building performed by the Forest Preserve showed it to be structurally sound and historically significant.
Architectural Rendering, c. 1936 by McKee House architect, Harold Kohlman
In 2015, the Forest Preserve Board finally agreed to replace the failing roof so that the building could be stabilized for the time it would take to raise restoration funding. Unfortunately, new leadership on the Board put a stop to the proposed work. In the spring of 2017, Landmarks Illinois placed the buildings on the list of the 10 Most Endangered Buildings in Illinois when the Forest Preserve Board, unswayed by increasing public pressure, continued discussion of razing the irreplaceable limestone structures. However, a unique opportunity arose when the Forest Preserve unexpectedly entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Village of Glen Ellyn that opened the possibility of saving and re-adapting the buildings for modern use. The bottom line was that if a not-for-profit organization can raise $400,000 by October 2019, the buildings will not be torn down. The McKee Preservation Group has taken on this challenge, under the guidance of the Village of Glen Ellyn Oversight Committee.