Plans For McKee House To Be Discussed At Meeting

GLEN ELLYN, IL — The future of McKee House will be the topic of discussion during a public meeting set for Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. at the Glen Ellyn Historical Center. Attendees will learn about the McKee House Project's plans to transform the once endangered home into a Native American Cultural and Environmental Center.

The meeting will feature remarks from McKee House Project and their partner for the initiative, Midwest Midwest Save Our Ancestor's Remains & Resources Indigenous Network Group (SOARRING) Foundation and the Glen Ellyn Historical Society.

In 2017, McKee House was listed among the top 10 sites on the Illinois Endangered Historic Places list. The building, which has been unoccupied for more than 20 years, sits on a patch of land in Churchill Woods.

Built in the 1930s, McKee House had been in disrepair for several years before a grant was awarded by Landmarks Illinois in 2018 to fund work on the roof and help re-stabilize the limestone structure. A lease on the property began in 2018 to help the village raise funds to rehabilitate the former home.

In 2024, SOARRING Foundation, the Village Glen Ellyn and the village's park district inked an agreement to transform the space in the Native American Cultural and Environmental Center.

Per the McKee House Project page, necessary upgrades include removing asbestos, mold and lead paint and fixing floors, ceilings and other structural components. Upgrades to the building's electricity, heating and plumbing must also be completed before work on the cultural center can begin.

The aim of the Native American Cultural and Environmental Center will be to share Native American artifacts and historical information with the public. Plans include adding a garden with indigenous plants and hosting an annual event with the hopes of drawing in thousands of attendees from across the U.S.

What: McKee House Project Meeting

When: Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.

Where: Glen Ellyn Historical Center, 800 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn