Richmond’s historic train depot eatery nears end of the line

After owners spent months searching unsuccessfully for a new home for the venerable 120-year-old building, Richmond’s adopted Solon Mills Train Depot likely will be torn down.

The depot, which has been in Richmond for more than 50 years after being moved from its original site, is on private property. The land owners want to use the land for something else.

As a result, different non-profit organizations — the W.A. McConnell Foundation, the Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, and the McHenry County Historical Society — took up the mantle earlier this year to find a new place to move the depot.

After several meetings and extending the time they had to find a home, the advocates were unsuccessful, Peter Gussie with the McConnell Foundation said.

“I’ve lost track of how many different places we’ve tried to work with to place the building,” Gussie said. “Unfortunately we fell short.”

No date for the demolition has been set, Gussie said.

The organizations have met for several months with the village of Richmond, Richmond Township, school districts, other foundations, private groups such as churches, and tried to get properties donated, Gussie said.

At the end, the only tangible offers of rescue were private owners, Gussie said. But this worried the foundation because they feared they would be in the same situation within a few years. The other offers were properties that were not feasible as sites because costs would be “too substantial.”

Buying property outright was another option, Gussie said. But given that the McConnell Foundation is still relatively new, it didn’t have the money to strike a deal.

The property on which the depot sits is owned by Vernon Hills-based Graham Enterprise Inc. Next to the property is a gas station, whose owners are looking to expand operations.

“I’ve got nothing bad to say about the owners,” Gussie said. “They’ve been really willing to work with us.”

Originally built in 1902, the Solon Mills Train Depot was one of the main depots in McHenry County. After operating that way for more than five decades, the depot was nearly razed, before being moved to Richmond.

After the move, it was repurposed in the 1960s as the Depot Restaurant, which was owned and operated by the Cherry family starting in the 1970s.

Originally built in 1902, the Solon Mills Train Depot was one of the main depots in McHenry County. After operating that way for more than five decades, the depot was nearly r, before being moved to Richmond.,” she said in April.

Had the building been moved from its current spot in Richmond, it’s unknown what its new purpose might have been, Gussie said. Going forward, the hope is to take a piece of it to use as a historical display.

Still, coming up short on saving the building, Gussie said he feels those who were elected could have made decisions to help.

“We can only hope the loss of the depot will at least bring light to the fact that the county is losing many of its historical buildings,” Gussie said. “People that care about our history need to impress upon our elected officials the importance of being caretakers of that history.”