Long Grove Moves Historic Barn For Village Hall Expansion Project

LONG GROVE, IL — The historic Ruth Barn is on the move again. Built in 1840, the barn had been sitting behind Village Hall on Old McHenry Road since being moved there in 1980, which was three years after it had been relocated from another location. Now, with an expansion project at Village Hall underway, officials needed to move Ruth Barn as it was in the way.

Last year, Village trustees approved an expansion of Village Hall, which is a historic spot in itself, as the former Drexler Tavern. The building had been gifted by the Long Grove Historical Society in 1974, before moved to its current site on Old McHenry Road in 1977.

"This expansion will permit us to provide more efficient service to our residents and business owners," said Chris Sparkman, village manager. "Our staff work spaces will allow for improved collaboration and productivity, while public meetings will take place in a larger boardroom facility designed to accommodate more participants and better align with today's video streaming technology. All this will be accomplished while maintaining the historic look of our existing building while being mindful of the wetlands and natural grounds we occupy."

Officials said a year of planning and vetting potential partners preceded the start of the project in late April. The moving of Ruth Barn completed phase one.

Gewalt Hamilton, the Vernon Hills-based engineering firm that works for the Village, along with moving experts from DeVooght House Lifters, based in Wisconsin, oversaw the move.