The Village consists of five buildings dating from 1837 to 1905 that offer you a look at a typical prairie community.
Caspar Ott Log House, 1837
The one-room log home where journeyman tailor Caspar Ott and his wife, Maria Elizabetha, raised their seven children is the oldest standing building in Lake County. In 1970, just one week before it was to be demolished the house was discovered under the plaster of the dining room in the Siljerstrom farmhouse. The building was moved to the Historic Village by the Historical Society.
In the early 1990s, the Historical Society began a fundraising campaign to restore the building and move it to a new site at the Village. In 2001, the cabin was restored to its original appearance by the Historical Society with funds from members, local organizations and the community. Now the house stands as it looked 170 years ago.
George Luther House, 1847
This is a well preserved example of the larger ìthree room log cabinî built before the arrival of the first sawmill in 1850. After the Civil War, the house was modernized by the addition of Greek Revival white siding and green trim. The building houses a visitor center with special exhibits.
Bartle Sacker Farmhouse, 1854
Nicknamed ìThe Little House on the Prairie,î this two-story frame house is furnished with artifacts typically used in the daily life of an active farm family. To view photos of the farmhouse being moved to the Historic Village from its original site at 1428 Waukegan Road, visit www.digitalpast.org.
Little Red Schoolhouse, Circa 1890
One of the most popular buildings in the Village is this replica of a 19th century one-room school furnished with period school items. Every child in District 109 attends class for one day at the schoolhouse as part of their local history program.
Carriage House, Circa 1905
Antique carriages and farm equipment are housed in this replica. The Carriage House was built with materials salvaged from four area buildings, and the first four carriages were put on display in 1984.
