‘Living piece of history’: Tour near century-old former Sycamore Central School before it closes

SYCAMORE – A century-old grade school that taught generations of families in Sycamore will open to the public for a final time Saturday.

Central School, a nearly 100-year-old building used most recently to house Sycamore Community School District 427’s administration offices will be celebrated at an open house from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. In a few weeks, it will permanently close.

The former Central School, 245 W. Exchange St., has been listed for sale by the school district. The administration is poised to move out of the building by the end of July.

Understanding the building’s history and significance to the community was entrenched in the education of the Sycamore community since it was opened in 1926. So much so, district officials decided to host an open house for the public to tour the building from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Yearbooks will be displayed, and light refreshments offered.

Sycamore Superintendent Steve Wilder said the school district worked with the DeKalb County History Center to prepare digital media for the occasion.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity to just be here and visit with people who have connections to Central School,” Wilder said. “We’ve actually prepared a 30-minute documentary that involves interviews with former students.”

A former teacher will also be featured in the documentary, Wilder said.

Sycamore school board President Michael DeVito said he thinks the building is an important part of downtown Sycamore.

“I think it, like the courthouse, is a living piece of history for Sycamore,” DeVito said.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 13

Steve Wilder, superintendent of Sycamore School District 427, talks Tuesday, June 18, 2025, about the entryway of the former Central School in Sycamore. The nearly century old building currently houses the district offices but will soon be for sale. The district is hosting an open house at the building Saturday, June 21. (Mark Busch)

Wilder said the district’s administration was set to move out of the building into a former Nicor facility, 1947 Bethany Road. The district acquired the building 2024 for a new space to house administrative offices, but severe weather this spring derailed the plans.

“We had planned to move there in the spring, but some of the storms that rolled through this spring created some leaks in the roof,” Wilder said. “So we needed to take some time to repair those.”

That building was purchased for $2.3 million on May 28, 2024, following a school board vote.

“I think it, like the courthouse, is a living piece of history for Sycamore.”

—  Michael DeVito

DeVito said he supports the previous board’s decision to transition the administrative space to the former Nicor building.

“I know that the objective is to save the taxpayers money in the long run with lower ... facilities’ costs with the new space that we’ll be using,” DeVito said.

While DeVito said that’s the intention behind last year’s property purchase, he also acknowledged the district now has a glut of administration facilities.

“We do not need two administration buildings, so what we need to do is not to own two administration buildings,” DeVito said. “However that can be done as quickly, and effectively as possible with least burden to the community is the objective right now.”

Sycamore school district published a notice of public sale of the Central School property on April 29 and accepted closed bids for the building until May 16.

Wilder said district officials haven’t yet chosen a buyer for the property.

“Right now the board is still weighing its options and kind of looking for the best decision,” Wilder said. “No decision quite yet, but it is something that we are working with the board on still.”

DeVito on Thursday said he hopes the building can be used similarly to the North Grove School House, 26745 Brickville Road, Sycamore.

“I think there’s a huge burden of responsibility to try and hopefully preserve the architectural integrity that it brings to the community, but also some of the historical relevance,” DeVito said.