About That Octagonal Barn in Spring Grove-- Part 2

"We want to take the 28 acres south of Main Street where the barn and farm house are located and subdivide it into four 5-acre home sites,"  Pease said.  "None of those buildings there [now] would really be in tune with me leaving one building where homes would go.  I paid too much for the property."

Pease would like to annex the property to the village of Spring Grove, although village Building and Zoning Officer Bob Walczak confirmed that no paperwork has been submitted to date for the property.

Gene Kattner said his family has lived on the property at 801 Main Street since 1921, originally part of a 230-acre farm that focused on raising corn, dairy cows and some beef cattle.  Fifteen years ago, the family sold 115 acres along the Nippersink Creek to the McHenry County Conservation District.

The 1876 octagon barn, which once housed horses on its lower level, purportedly has beams repurposed from Bliven's Mill.  Spring Grove used to be known as Bliven's Mill.

--Cooter