Location a major factor in fate of Sawyer-Kelley Mill

Huntley Historical Society plans to make Sun Valley Farm home

HUNTLEY – Preservation of historical landmarks sometimes depends on one key factor: location.

The 180-year-old Sun Valley Farm at Lois Lane and Main Street, home of one of the oldest buildings in McHenry County, will someday house the community’s historical museum, according to a plan still in the infant stages by the Huntley Park District and the Huntley Historical Society.

But the Sawyer-Kelley Mill, which has been home to many enterprises in Huntley for more than a century, is coming down soon to make room for a significant new retail business venture on the downtown square.

Last year, the Huntley village board received two recommendations for the mill property. One was a proposal by Joseph Billitteri, a Lake in the Hills commercial real estate developer, proposing construction of a 5,400-square-foot retail facility to house potentially several retail businesses. The other was a petition containing 211 signatures from the Huntley Historical Society and the village’s Historical Preservation Commission, recommending the building be preserved as a historical landmark.

The Board selected the retail proposal, primarily because the building is located in the heart of downtown, which the village is seeking to redevelop and upgrade, according to Victor Narusis, Huntley’s director of business development.

“The village board looked seriously at both proposals,” Narusis said. “They opted for the business expansion because it is an early part of a downtown-area upgrade program. Mr. Billitteri now is marketing the site to potential retail tenants, and he will demolish the building when he has leases in place.”

Narusis added that the village hopes to see construction begin by summer and the building’s “architecture will be traditional.”

According to Historical Society President Jake Marino, the mill building was built in the 1890s by W.G. Sawyer, who also had a factory business in Carpentersville at the same time. He milled both flour and flax-seed in Huntley.

Through the 20th century, the building housed other mills, the village post office, a barber shop, and other enterprises. More recently, it has been home to Wayne Donahue Realty, Route 47 Taxi, and a cash-for-gold business.

Regarding the Sun Valley Farm, the Historical Society and the Park District have agreed in principle to the concept of a museum in the farm house, which was once owned by Edwin Deicke, a former Huntley farmer and businessman after whom Deicke Park is named.

“We are evaluating the house’s condition and starting to put together a plan for renovating and upgrading it and making cost estimates,” Marino said. “Many decisions have to be made and a lot of money has to be raised. Many things have to be brought up to current village codes.”

Marino said Deicke played a major role in launching the park district about 65 years ago. He willed the farm buildings and land to the Park District, and it has been used primarily for storage in recent years. The farm’s barn is believed to be among the first structures built in McHenry County in the 1830s.

“The Park District has done a wonderful job renovating and preserving the barn in recent years, so that is a big plus as we look to the future,” Marino said.

Meanwhile, the society has recently embarked on another preservation project using modern technology. About 25 video-taped oral history interviews have been completed with members of Huntley families with strong historical roots in the community.

Marino said the taping sessions are open to the public and eventually will be published for open viewing.

“If anyone has a person in mind that we should interview, let us know,” he said. “We can go to their homes, meet them at an important location, or put them on the list for our meeting sessions.” Marino can be reached at 224-210-8886.

More information on the historical society can be found at huntleyhistoricalsociety.org.

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