Sierra Club Rep: Decision is 'Clear,' Destroy McKee House

Local conservationists voiced this week that they feel it's finally time to raze a historically significant Glen Ellyn building that's avoided the wrecking ball for more than 10 years.

Connie Schmidt, chairwoman of the River Prairie Group of the Sierra Club, spoke on behalf of the organization on Tuesday when addressing DuPage County Forest Preserve commissioners' proposal to level the Churchill Woods Forest Preserve's McKee House, according to a Daily Herald report.

"The River Prairie Group of the Sierra Club recognizes that this structure does hold interest," Schmidt said, in the story. "But the funds required to preserve it and to maintain it — versus using those funds for the protection of flora and fauna — help to make this decision clear."

Officials reportedly postponed their discussion last week about the fate of the structure. The McKee House was built along what is now St. Charles Road in the 1930s, where it served as a residence for Forest Preserve District superintendents, according to the Forest Preserve District. Until 1996, the property was used as a home and was then transitioned into a guardhouse.

Some commissioners disagree with plans to demolish the structure, citing its historical significance. More than $450,000 in repairs would be needed to salvage it, reports The Daily Herald, and up to $16,000 per year is necessary to keep it running. Ensuring it's safe to open to the public could require as much as $1.5 million.

In Feb. 2013, the district’s board of commissioners allocated funds for an architectural study of the house to determine the best course of action for the home.

Information about the building can be found on the McKee House at Churchill Woods page on the District’s website, under “Forest Preserve News” and “Plans and Projects.” Read the full Daily Herald article here.