Lakewood Farms, at 27277 Forest Preserve Drive, Wauconda, has been named to the Landmarks Illinois 2016 Most Endangered Places in Illinois List. The property is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves District.

WAUCONDA – A Lake County Forest Preserve District property was recently named to the Landmarks Illinois 2016 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois list.



Lakewood Farms, 27277 Forest Preserve Drive, Wauconda, was developed as a model gentleman’s farm in 1937. In 1967, it was sold to the Lake County Forest Preserves District and has served as home to the Lake County Discovery Museum and the Curt Teich Postcard Archives for years.



“We believe Lakewood Farms is an important cultural asset to the residents of Lake County,” said Bonnie McDonald, president of Landmarks Illinois. “The farmstead itself has a significant history.”



A press release issued by Landmarks Illinois acknowledges that the Lake County Discovery Museum is slated for relocation to the forest preserves' headquarters in Libertyville.



The Teich Archives is currently still at the Lake County Discovery Museum, but the Lake County Forest Preserves District is in the process of transferring the archives to the Newberry Library in Chicago. With board approval, that transfer is expected to be completed by fall 2016.



“The archives has been an important part of our collections for 33 years,” Katherine Hamilton-Smith, director of public affairs and development, stated in an email. “However, district staff, who have worked very closely with the collection for many years, realized that the significance [of] this collection to the history of the United States is far beyond what the district was capable of providing. Staff suggested that the archives needed to be housed as [a] research institution that can bring greater exposure and prominence to the archives in a way that the district never could accomplish. The time to transfer the Teich Archives to a new home seemed right, as the Lake County Discovery Museum is transitioning to a new home in Libertyville.”



Ty Kovach, executive director of the Lake County Forest Preserves District, said the district is fine with Lakewood Farms at Lakewood Forest Preserve being put on the Landmarks Illinois list. In fact, he said it will only help the district in its planning process.



“We’re getting ready to go to the next phase – master planning,” Kovach said. “… We’re going to have to make hard decisions surrounding buildings.”



Kovach said whatever decision is made about Lakewood, will be made with the district’s 100-year plan in mind. This means, district officials won’t be thinking about just the immediate future of the site, but the future of the site 100 years down the road.



Master planning for Lakewood will start within the next year, Kovach said. Public input will be welcomed in the process. The master plan will be specific to Lakewood and will help guide plans for what to restore and what not to restore.



McDonald said Landmarks Illinois’ decision to place Lakewood Farms on its list will, number one, help to raise awareness to the fact that the museum is moving and that the community knows that leaves the building in limbo. She said it will also help to engage the community in discussions about the buildings themselves. Landmarks Illinois is passionate about finding opportunities for re-use or to revitalize assets, as well as offer resources to help the forest preserve district in its decision making.



“They’re doing what they should be doing and they’re being watchful,” Kovach said of Landmarks Illinois.



According to a press release issued by Landmarks Illinois, the historic site includes the Michael Murray homestead, where the Teich Archives were previously housed, a barn, silos and outbuildings. Landmarks Illinois is urging the forest preserve board to set forth a process for seeking community input and soliciting potential users to rehabilitate and occupy the buildings under purchase or lease agreements.



The Lake County Discovery Museum will close its current location at the end of summer. Kovach said it will take about a year to get the museum re-opened in its Libertyville headquarters, at 1899 W. Winchester Road. He anticipates moving the museum will have a positive impact, in that it will help the district blend its natural and cultural history together, as well as get people interested in more of the district’s offerings.



“The new space allows us to exhibit more of our collections, expanding how we tell Lake County’s story,” Hamilton-Smith stated in an email. “We will continue to offer school field trips and programs for families. Civil War Days and the Farm Heritage event will continue at the Lakewood Forest Preserve.”