A McHenry County farmstead made a most-endangered list. But saving old farms is far from simple

Long known for its agricultural economy, McHenry County has a wealth of historic farms dating to the early 1800s. But what to do with the barns and farmsteads of founding families has become the question.

McHenry was gifted the historic Colby-Petersen Farm in 2002 with an agreement that it would remain open to the public, but the city has yet to determine what it will be open for.

The Crystal Lake Park District recently agreed to budget $85,000 for repairs to the Barlina barn at 705 Barlina Road at Hill Farm Park while officials determine what to do with the 140-year-old structure.

And at the McHenry County Conservation District, the board is working on a comprehensive conservation plan, deciding where to focus its resources in the coming decades. That could include what to do with buildings such as Camp Algonquin at the Fox Bluff Conservation Area, and the W.A. McConnell Farmstead in the North Branch Conservation Area near Richmond, MCCD Executive Director Elizabeth Kessler said.

Two of these historic buildings – Camp Algonquin and the McConnell Farmstead – have ended up on Landmarks Illinois’ 10 Most Endangered Places list. The McConnell buildings were given the designation in May.

“Deferred maintenance and neglect threaten many of the outbuildings, including numerous barns, at this historic farmstead founded in 1837 by the first non-native settler of present-day Richmond. Proper funding is necessary so that the property owner, the McHenry County Conservation District, can make the essential repairs and protect the farmstead from further deterioration,” according to the Landmarks Illinois declaration.

Landmarks Illinois is aware of the challenges for the public agencies that are the latest caretakers for the properties.

“Municipalities, conservation districts, park districts or forest preserve district –they all have to balance needs, wants and desires and look at the entire portfolio of what they have,” Landmarks Illinois regional advocacy manager Quinn Adamowski said.

He argues, however, that these old barns and farmsteads “are part of the story of that land, are central to the story of that land” and to the story of Illinois.

Funding – be it grant or taxpayer dollars – is the question for the current owners of the historic properties.

“Securing external funding sources for these projects remains a goal, but these sources are few and are in high demand by other agencies like ours,” Kessler said in a prepared statement.

Conservation district officials also are aware of the deferred maintenance on many of those buildings, Kessler said. That was one of the reasons the conservation district put a referendum question on the November ballot, which voters backed, but whether those funds go into preserving buildings or conserving lands will be part of the comprehensive plan.

Determining how to use the land, and perhaps bring in funds via that use, is part of the question for all of the agencies.

McHenry has five building on 80 acres at the Colby Petersen Farmstead, said Bill Hobson, the city’s parks and recreation director. The property includes the house, a barn and two silos believed to be the last wooden silos in the county.

“We have invested money in the house itself. We had foundation work done, updated the mechanicals [and] leveled some sags in the floor to make sure it is there for a long time,” Hobson said.

The city almost lost one of the buildings when a microburst storm came through.

“It pushed the smaller horse barn. It was on the verge of falling down,” Hobson said.

Insurance money allowed the city to shore up that barn, putting in a new foundation and roof.

A city-funded study in 2018 looked at possibilities for reusing the land, and before the COVID-19 pandemic, McHenry was in talks with a local organic farmer “to make it an active, working-type farm,” Hobson said. That fell through.

The 2025-26 city budget sets aside $125,000 for preservation work on the property, including tuck-pointing on the 1836 house, but there is no clear direction for its future.

“We want to make sure it is maintained and don’t have to worry that the buildings are falling down,” Hobson said.

The W.A. McConnell Farmstead has a champion in the Richmond-based W.A. McConnell Foundation. The group has been active in cleaning up and raising money to protect the land and buildings.

Kessler said in her statement, “We are fortunate that partner agencies have come together to protect the natural resources in the Richmond and surrounding areas to form Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, with the conservation district holdings being part of that."

Kurt Begalka, a member of the foundation, expressed skepticism that the conservation district is committed to preserving the historic structures on the farmstead.

“They want trees and trails, but they bought property with historic buildings and have done nothing with it,” Begalka said.

The village of Richmond is embracing the eco-tourism the Hackmatack refuge could bring in, but “it always boils down to money,” Village President Toni Wardanian said.

If she had an unlimited source of funding, she’d like to see it as a working farm “with actors hoeing the fields. But you have to pay for these things,” she said. “I want to be able to support whatever [the conservation district’s] vision is. Richmond would support that.”