The Greene Barn in Greene Valley Forest Preserve, Naperville, Illinois
Gratitude for Generations of Generosity
We believe tradition preserves joy, and innovation ensures progress.
Oak Cottage waits!
Local non-profit steps up!
Naperville Outdoor Alliance has submitted a Statement of Interest to open Oak Cottage and the barn for public use.
Pubic Comments December 16, 2025
Encouraging the District ...
Messages of Support
Public Comments to the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners
Oak Cottage. The home that grows belonging. Oak Cottage is awakening at the right moment to meet the environmental, cultural and health needs of your constituents. Congratulations on the 2026 improvements coming to the Greene Valley Forest Preserve.
To be clear, Previous Commission Action began in the 1970s when Bill & Jane Greene donated 10-acres, Oak Cottage and the barn.
It is greatly appreciated that you give consideration to two equally unexpected Statements of Interest. Naperville Outdoor Alliance included the barn. They are a matched set. The home. The work. The river. The land. The farm. The forests. The families. Bill & Jane Greene’s generous donations set the stage expanding DuPage County Forest Preserves and honoring its heritage. Now, 50-plus-years later, it’s time to present the public with the most sacred gathering space, a home.
A home whose holistic, adaptive re-use will continue to complement the landscape and the District’s mission. A space that includes a barn and a river and a stunning thirteen hundred ninety-nine-acre forest preserve which Bill Greene, a founding member of The Conservation Foundation, helped assemble.
The District’s decision to move forward with an off-site single-family home is third-best. It plunges a dagger into the heart of home and community. Deracination ~ to pull out by the roots, to move something from its natural environment ~ deracination severs this home’s significance to family, prosperity, and community. Removes it from nature, and silences the proven social-emotional health possible when presenting an adapted, welcoming home repurposed for the public.
Please authorize staff to work with Naperville Outdoor Alliance to develop a License Agreement as proposed. NOA values Mr. Privitt’s expertise and has invited him to work together. Combined with Naperville Outdoor Alliance skills, relationships, enthusiasm and resources adaptive re-use of Oak Cottage will be a win-win-win for the cottage, the community, and the District. Let’s work together.
The District has proven partnership success with the License Agreement in place for Danada House. Many people stand ready to cooperate. Moving in this direction will better serve the land and its stories, and your constituents. It will strengthen public involvement, exemplify masterful stewardship, and prove the value of all philanthropic contributions to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.
Thank you. ~ Mary Lou Wehrli, Director Naperville Outdoor Alliance
Oak Cottage, Greene Valley Farmstead
Good morning Mr. President, Commissioners, Executive Director Friling, staff, and residents.
My name is Philip Buchanan, and I am here on behalf of Naperville Preservation. I rise today in support of Oak Cottage at Greene Valley Farmstead.
In 2023, Oak Cottage was listed by Landmarks Illinois as one of the state’s most endangered buildings. One of the stated goals of the Forest Preserve District is to recognize and protect significant cultural elements within its preserves—and Oak Cottage is unquestionably one of those elements.
Keeping Oak Cottage on the property donated by the Greene family is the most respectful way to honor that gift. According to Landmarks Illinois, in 1998 the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County made a formal commitment, by ordinance, to care for Oak Cottage and the accompanying Greene Barn in perpetuity. It is important that the Forest Preserve live up to that commitment.
Oak Cottage is a valuable part of the Greene Valley Farmstead and of the Forest Preserve system as a whole. The District has both a duty and a responsibility to preserve and maintain the infrastructure entrusted to its care, and Oak Cottage is undeniably part of that responsibility. At present, the Cottage is not receiving the level of stewardship it deserves.
Beyond maintenance obligations, this Board also has a responsibility to safeguard our shared cultural heritage. Oak Cottage represents an important chapter in our local history, and preserving it is essential to honoring the community and families who helped shape this place.
Sustainability is one of the Forest Preserve’s six guiding principles. True sustainability includes the responsible preservation and adaptive use of historic resources—not their neglect or loss.
As a side note, I would appreciate an update on the new signage planned for Oak Cottage. I understand it is part of a larger Greene Valley Farmstead project.
On a personal note, my friend and former colleague Bob Jacobsen—a decades-long historian and dedicated supporter of the Forest Preserve—worked with your predecessors on this Board and strongly supported the preservation of Oak Cottage. He would be deeply disappointed by the direction this decision appears to be taking.
In closing, I urge the Board to reaffirm its commitment to Oak Cottage, honor the promises made, and ensure that this irreplaceable historic resource is preserved for future generations.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Marilyn Schweitzer
My apologies for missing the opportunity to voice my opinion at the December 9th Planning Session regarding the two responses for the Oak Cottage Request for Statements of Interest. I agree with the general assessment that neither submittal was a home run: the proposal from the Naperville Outdoor Alliance muddled the proposal by including the Greene Barn; Mr. Privitt’s proposal, of purchasing and moving Oak Cottage off the preserves, diminishes the historic integrity of the site and removes it from the public domain as it would become a privately owned residence.
The December 16th Commission Meeting agenda item is to “Enter into an Agreement with James Privitt for Relocation and Restoration of the Oak Cottage”. It does not specify that the building will be sold. Selling the historic building and removing it from district property, relative to the Forest Preserve District, is equivalent to demolishing it. Either way, the building is gone. Its visual impact as a sister structure to the Greene Barn is lost. Markers, covenants, and its existence elsewhere cannot make up for the loss at Greene Valley Forest Preserve. Not only would one of the major cultural elements of the Greene Valley Forest preserve be lost, but the opportunity to have a structure at the Greene Valley Forest Preserve to help interpret the cultural elements would be lost as well. Recall, there is no current plan to open the Greene Barn for public use. (Please note, the Greene Valley Master Plan in its vision states that cultural elements contribute to the preserve’s unique character and a goal is to recognize significant cultural elements.)
Ordinance No 14-014 allows only four options for treatment of existing structures: preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and demolition. It does not describe an option for the sale of a historic structure. Even so, it would be unusual and undesirable to allow a structure to be sold without meeting the same conditions as for demolition. One of those conditions is that “no partner or community group will assume responsibility for long-term conservation and/ or use of the structure”. The Naperville Outdoor Alliance has expressed such a willingness.
Instead of proceeding with Mr Privitt’s proposal, I recommend staff request that Mr Privitt and the Naperville Outdoor Alliance work together on a proposal that would keep Oak Cottage where it stands and would not include adaptive reuse of the Greene Barn. As partners, they would proceed with a feasibility study and business plan. Some advantages are:
- The Greene Barn and Oak Cottage Complex would retain their longstanding historical context. They functioned together for over 150 years with Oak Cottage being the “elder statesmen” of the pair. It’s rare for a family farmhouse and barn to still be intact and in as good of condition as they are. They simply should not be separated. (Mr Privitt, as a preservationist, I believe would understand and appreciate this.)
- Keeping Oak Cottage on the property donated by the Greene family is more respectful of their gift to the district. (According to Landmarks Illinois, “In 1998, the FPDDC made a commitment via ordinance to care for Oak Cottage and its accompanying Greene Barn in perpetuity.)
- The much loved visual impact of the sister structures is kept intact as they have been for over 150 years.
- Oak Cottage remains a public entity and provides more opportunity for public access and cultural enrichment than if it is turned into a private residence.
- Some portion of the Friends of The Greene Barn and Oak Cottage Fund could be used for the rehabilitation of Oak Cottage. (I believe the current amount is about $300k.)
- There is no cost to relocate the building, no expense to purchase of a private lot, no risk of structural damage while moving the building, and no need for covenants.
- Oak Cottage could be rehabilitated (as recommended in the Oak Cottage Cultural Resource Evaluation) rather than restored. This allows more flexibility than a historic restoration.
- Oak Cottage could, at least in part, be used to recognize the preserve’s cultural elements. (This was part of the Naperville Outdoor Alliance proposal and consistent with the vision and goals of the Greene Valley Master Plan.)
- The benefits of cultural stewardship and community outreach remain with the Forest Preserve District, rather than going to the receiving municipality. Being on district land provides further opportunities to connect people to nature whereas moving it does not. Keeping it part of the Forest Preserves promotes local heritage, educational outreach, cultural pride, and public interest of the Greene Valley Forest Preserve as well as the district as a whole. (E.g. satisfying goals 3, 4 and 5 of the 2014 Strategic Plan.) Keeping it a part of the Forest Preserves with its sister structure does a better job satisfying the Forest Preserve Vision of cultivating an appreciation of cultural history.
- There would be no need for the Forest Preserve to do historical documentation that is required when a structure is removed. (E.g. “photographs, measurements, artifact recovery, and history, all to be kept for future reference, research, or interpretive display”.)
- The combined expertise of Mr. Privitt and the Naperville Outdoor Alliance bolsters the probability of success. For example, Mr. Privitt has more experience in building renovation and the Naperville Outdoor Alliance stronger community ties, knowledge of the preserves, and history of the property.
- Mr Privitt is currently residing in Texas where he has one other ongoing preservation commitment and another proposal. (Besides his offer on Oak Cottage, Mr Privitt is restoring the Scott-Barker house in Melissa, Texas with the intention to live in it. He also has an offer to move, purchase, and restore Stonehaven in Wylie, Texas for use a short term rental.) Working with Naperville Outdoor Alliance on a shared goal could relieve some of the pressures of working long distance on concurrent preservation projects. This too would help guarantee a success for the future of Oak Cottage.
As far as purpose, I do like the use for Oak Cottage as “intimate gathering space of connection and learning” and the proposed floor plan. Such a use, particularly as it allows for rental, creates a community draw to the Greene Valley Forest Preserve for visitors not only experience the cultural aspects of the preserve, but also invites visitors to expand the horizons to the natural aspects of the preserve. All this furthers the mission of the forest preserves. If this or any other on site adaptive reuse is not feasible, I would far prefer that Oak Cottage be simply preserved on site with no public access (similar to the status of the Greene Barn) than to have it be sold to a private owner and relocated.
Thank you for your consideration.
Daily Herald Editorial Opinion July 7, 2025
A Local Learning Opportunity?
More than two years after appearing on a list of the state’s most endangered historic places, there could be a second act for Oak Cottage in the Greene Valley Forest Preserve near Naperville.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is seeking formal statements of interest from individuals or organizations with a vision for rehabilitating and reusing the 1850s farmhouse at the southeast corner of Greene and Hobson roads.
“We want to keep an open mind and try to just see what creative opportunities are here,” Forest Preserve President Daniel Hebreard told senior writer Katlyn Smith for a story published on Sunday.
The willingness of forest preserve officials to allow preservationists to come in and restore Oak Cottage is a notable change from prior district policy, which allowed the structure to sit unused for decades.
Our hope is that it could pave the way for Oak Cottage — and a neighboring barn — to someday become an educational resource similar to Kline Creek Farm, a forest preserve district-owned living history museum in West Chicago that depicts what local farm life was like in the 1890s.
Oak Cottage and the Greene Barn were built on land that William Briggs Greene acquired in 1843. Greene started construction of the farmhouse in 1850. Work on the 14,000-square-foot barn happened sometime later.
Around 1970, the forest preserve district acquired the structures as part of its decades-long effort to assemble land for what eventually became Greene Valley.
According to the forest preserve district, William Bertram Greene — the grandson of William Briggs Greene — encouraged the preservation of Oak Cottage and the Greene Barn. The initial belief was that the structures would eventually serve cultural, educational, historical and recreational purposes. So far, though, they have only been an aesthetic feature on the landscape.
Members of the Greene family were able to live in the farmhouse until the early 1980s. But it has remained vacant ever since. And time has taken its toll.
While the exterior of the white clapboard house has been maintained by the forest preserve district, the interior has remained largely undisturbed. It now needs substantial work. Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, a firm hired by the district, did an analysis of Oak Cottage. Its report estimated that repairing and converting the house for another use would cost at least $279,000. The district says utility connections could add $200,000 to $500,000 to the price tag.
That cost could prove to be prohibitive. Still, we hope that someone steps up to propose a viable use for Oak Cottage.
Restoring the farmhouse — along with opening the Greene Barn to the public — could help educate future generations about DuPage County’s farming past. We applaud forest preserve officials for at least being open to one of those ideas and wanting to partner with a group to breathe new life into Oak Cottage.
A home that grows belonging. Always has. Always will.
Imagine a future of open doors welcoming the public to an adaptive re-use of
Oak Cottage and Greene Barn
in the Greene Valley Forest Preserve, Naperville IL.
Barns are America’s symbols of honesty, integrity, and the American dream. Let's open the Greene Barn!
You Can Help
the Forest Preserve
District of DuPage
County
Oak Cottage and Greene Barn
Prepared by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Prepared for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. March 2025
2026 Landscape Improvements!
Specifically, the OSLAD grant will help fund several projects spelled out in a Greene Valley master plan adopted last year. Planned upgrades include relocating the entrance drive, enhancing picnic shelters, installing flush restrooms to replace latrines, realigning trails and adding a canoe and kayak launch for access to the East Branch of the DuPage River.
A new patio near the Greene Barn will provide “an enhanced visitor experience at the historic site,” the district said in a grant announcement.
Daily Herald 6/17/24
"Empty does not mean unloved."
~ Jane Ory Burke
Naperville Preservation, Inc.
8-minute video tour
Come inside! Enjoy a guided walk through the Greene Barn inside and out. Feel the life of local limestone and timbers. Learn of the Greene Family connections to agriculture, industry and community.
It is hoped the barn will be open to the public as adaptive reuse generates deeper connections to nature and cultural heritage.
IMAGINE!
14,000 Sq. Ft. Barn on 10-Acres of the 1,388-acre Greene Valley Forest Preserve
In 2019 the Greene Barn Ad Hoc Committee appointed by the forest preserve Board of Commissioners presented its recommendations.
A Gathering Place aligned with the district's mission incorporating education, culture, partnerships, environmental awareness, and revenue streams.
Click on LEARN MORE to read the report (and see bigger images).
Along the East Branch of the DuPage River ~
a native landscape of education, social gathering, canoes & kayaks, creativity, solar energy,
gentle breezes and hope.
June 4, 2024
Oak Cottage
Historical & Structural Analysis
The forest preserve Board of Commissioners approved a contract with Wiss, Janney, Elster Associates, Inc.
The report will provide an overview of the structure’s developmental history, its physical description, a condition assessment (including structural assessment), an evaluation of its significance, and treatment recommendations.
The report is anticipated in the fall of 2024.
Oak Cottage is on
Landmarks IL
2023 Most Endangered List
TAKE ACTION: sign petition; contact elected officials (see below)
Landmarks Illinois has included Oak Cottage on the 2023 list of the state's top threatened culturally and architecturally significant sites threatened by deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funds or inappropriate development.
Forest Preserve District asks for Statements of Interest
~ 2,440 sq. ft.
Purpose and Objectives
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is seeking expressions of serious interest from any party interested in reuse of Oak Cottage located at 23W171 Hobson Road in unincorporated Naperville, Illinois. Built in 1850, Oak Cottage is located within Greene Valley Forest Preserve, near the Greene Farm Barn at the corner of Hobson and Greene Roads. The house has been vacant since 1983 and is in need of rehabilitation and a new use.
Naperville Outdoor Alliance SOI
Why Preservation and Use
Jane Ory Burke, Naperville Preservation, Inc. director, highlights the importance of Oak Cottage, agricultural heritage, and encourages efforts to preserve and use Oak Cottage a cultural asset of the Greene Farmstead within Greene Valley Forest Preserve, Naperville IL.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Greene Valley Forest Preserve
on the East Branch of the DuPage River
Greene Barn Ad Hoc Committee
Recommendation
Oak Cottage
1. Perform a study on the Oak Cottage to document the structure's history and condition.
2. Determine a defined timeframe (3 years or less) for a third-party partner to identify a purpose and a means to utilize and maintain the existing Oak Cottage. If a third-party partner does not establish a viable mission-alligned plan for use and maintenance within the defined timeframe, then remove the structure and restore the landscape to open space.
Greene Barn
Preserve integrity of Greene Farm Barn / no public access to interior.
Greene Barn
Install outdoor patio space southeast of barn.
Available Now from Arcadia Publishing
Nestled on the East Branch of the DuPage River in Naperville, Illinois, sits the Greene family homestead with a 14,000-square-foot barn, the largest one in DuPage County, and a farmhouse lovingly called Oak Cottage by the family. One of the county’s earliest settlers, William Briggs Greene, acquired land in 1843 and developed the farmstead. Home to six generations of the Greene family, the homestead serves as a tribute to the courage and determination of the early settlers, who came in lumber wagons to the dense rolling prairie woodlands and learned how to farm and manage livestock. This book is also the story of William Bertram Greene, a father, grandfather, businessman, and philanthropist, who with his remarkable wisdom and foresight secured the preservation of the Greene homestead for future generations by donating it to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County in 1971.
Save & Use!
Oak Cottage history
William B. Greene (1886-1982) donated ten acres of the family’s homestead property to the Foundation. The proceeds from the sale of the property to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County were placed in a designated fund the following year to ensure the perpetual guardianship of the Greene Homestead.https://www.cffrv.org/profile/greene-family-endowment/
Click on books below to read W.B. Greene's family history.
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County approves Master Plan for Greene Valley Forest Preserve
Response to Stantec Greene Valley Forest Preserve Master Plan
Contact Board of Commissioners to support two recommendations in the plan:
Authorize the plan's HIGH PRIORITY to:
"Perform a study on Oak Cottage to document the structure's history and condition."
The board can issue a Request for Qualifications.
Authorize the plan's HIGH PRIORITY to:
"Identify a purpose and a means to utilize and maintain the existing Oak Cottage."
The board can appoint an ad hoc committee.
W.B. Greene had a vision when he donated the buildings and 10-acres.
Adaptive Re-Use & Public Access
Study Oak Cottage
Contact Elected Officials
See Below
Email or Call Commissioners
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Commissioners
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Board of Commissioners is responsible for the stewardship and use of its assets including Oak Cottage and Barn.
In 2023 they accepted a new Master Plan for Greene Valley Forest Preserve. Recommendations include, "perform a study on Oak Cottage to document the structure's history and condition," AND "identify a purpose and a means to utilize and maintain the existing Oak Cottage."
Please reach out to forest preserve commissioners with your encouragement to proceed with these two recommendations.
Thank you for your support!
Oak Cottage in Naperville
Naperville Preservation, Inc. submitted an application to Landmarks Illinois nominating Oak Cottage as a Most Endangered Place. On May 4, 2023 it was chosen!
The purpose of the list is to focus attention on sites threatened by deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funds or inappropriate development and to bolster local advocacy efforts and build support for each property’s eventual preservation. The Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois list also draws attention to important policy issues that affect these properties and historic properties throughout the state.
Community Outreach
Oak Cottage & Greene Barn
Oak Cottage is a generous bequest of DuPage County's agricultural presence and tribute to one of DuPage County's earliest European established families. It is important to see history situated in its original place.
“Bill” Greene and his wife Jane embraced the family legacy of prosperity and philanthropy by donating the 10-acre Greene Family Farmstead through the Aurora Foundation to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County actively manages stewardship of land and cultural heritage:
"As experienced stewards and managers of heritage sites throughout the forest preserves, the Forest Preserve District's expert interpreters and educators are committed to ensuring the Graue properties remain a premier cultural destination for the people of DuPage County."
We ask no less for Oak Cottage and Greene Barn.
Please support adaptive re-use.
Thank You
Community's Recommended Next Steps
Conduct a Structural Condition Analysis
Appoint a Greene Valley Heritage Center Ad Hoc Committee
Conduct a Feasibility Study
Issue a Request for Expressions of Interest
The iconic white farmhouse with green shutters, expansive porch, and peaceful back courtyard has stood under legacy bur oaks for 173 years. In original context she invites us to bear witness to the transformation of DuPage County from Native American rolling prairie to farmland to suburbia.
Greene Barn & Oak Cottage are owned by the
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
These culturally significant public assets are located on the donated 10-acre homestead in the Greene Valley Forest Preserve.
Public interior and exterior access to Greene Barn and Oak Cottage has community support. The forest preserve board of commissioners will receive a final Master Plan for Greene Valley Forest Preserve, including Greene Barn and Oak Cottage in February 2022.
Stantec Consulting has been hired to create the Master Plan.
Your attention and support are encouraged.
Ideas! Energy! Resources!
Three of Stantec's second draft ideas are supported by previous volunteer efforts addressing adaptive re-use.
Review 2019 recommendations of the Greene Barn Ad Hoc Committee and integrate those potential community uses with opportunities that include a more intimate Oak Cottage venue for book groups, senior drop-in, trail rest, small group meetings, weddings, lectures, exhibits, board games, knitting together, high tea, folk concerts, scout visits, storytelling.
Ideas
Oak Cottage Forum
"A physical place that fosters dialogue to benefit society."
Idea Team, Imagine, Plan, Connect . SCOPE . BUDGET . SCHEDULE
Commissioner support is essential to embracing a vision.
A Master Plan is a place for vision, welcoming champions and partners. Contributions from many to benefit all.
A PHASED approach balances workload, funding and use.
The strong heart of home beats for future generations.
1850
Oak Cottage
W.B (William Bertram) Greene, below center, embraced the hearts of his family and community by securing the family homestead in the care of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. He envisioned future generations of all peoples welcome to the land and home and barn; empowering lessons of culture and nature.
In the 1970s the Naperville Heritage Society recognized the significance of Greene's generosity with a commemorative plaque. It is hoped that Oak Cottage will one day be open to the public in adaptive reuse.
Greene Farmstead
Oak Cottage & Greene Barn
In 1850, the central portion of Oak Cottage was built by William Briggs Greene. It grew wing by wing through the years sheltering six generations. Simple lines define the exterior. The fireplace and mantel are slightly carved Vermont marble. At one time 16 people lived under its roof.
Buildings were added as the farm grew and prospered. The 14,000-square-foot barn began rising in the 1870s. The Greene Barn built from locally quarried limestone and hand-hewn timbers sheltered animals, hay, grain and tools.
Oak Cottage, the barn and 10-acre homestead were donated to the District by William Bertram Greene, grandson of William Briggs Greene.
Help Open the Greene Barn & Oak Cottage
A gentle gathering place along the East Branch of the DuPage River adjacent to multiple trails. Greene Farmstead celebrates local cultural, agricultural, and environmental heritage.
Your support will help open both for public use.
To make a donation, click on the Greene button.
A Closer Peek
Timber frame barn built with local trees and limestone.
At 14,000 square feet it was and is the largest barn in DuPage County!
Main Level
Lower Level
Fresh Air Charm
2019-2024 Successessssss!
Join us in celebrating the successessss of the Greene Barn!
Donations welcome!
Click the books to read, "God Bless Our Home."
Click here to read, "The Greenes of the East Branch of the DuPage."
Click here to read, "Dear Progeny."
Donations support education and outreach!
Rooted Acoustic Barn Raising 5.5K + 1M Kids Dash is around the corner - Sunday, August 29th!
Rooted Acoustic Barn Raising 5.5K + 1M Dash SUCCESSES!
Thank You 2021 Sponsors!
Please support these generous sponsors who help build strong, inclusive and healthy communities.
Goal: Open the Barn to Public Use
Objective: Awareness & Engagement
Hobson & Greene Roads in Naperville, Illinois
Greene Valley Forest Preserve
Visit the Greene Valley Forest Preserve and check out the barn and trails. Social media posts are encouraged.
Share photos to the Greene Barn’s Facebook page and tag them #TheGreeneBarn. Thank you!
The barn is owned by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, which has received much citizen interest in its future. Britney Toussaint, Rachel Jenness, Becky Simon and Mary Lou Wehrli have been working with the Forest Preserve District to bring more attention to the cultural asset. You are encouraged and welcome to share your thoughts.
“It is hoped that the barn will connect people of all ages with nature, ecosystems, and cultural heritage,” said Toussaint.
The Greene Farmstead is located at the north end of the 1,388-acre Greene Valley Forest Preserve in Naperville. The preserve features 12-miles of marked trails, an off-leash dog area, a model-craft area, picnic shelters and a youth-group campground. It is home to more than 540 native plant species.
“It is a significant historic place with many stories to tell,” said Simon. “We look forward to attracting volunteers and developing a Strategic Plan.”
For information and to become involved, please call 630-420-2282 or visit TheGreeneBarn.org.
The 258-page Discovery and Analysis Phase Report was presented to the Board of Commissioners on October 19, 2021. Focus on the Greene Valley Forest Preserve begins on page 154.
The Market Analysis of the Greene Barn begins on page 16. The Board of Commissioners directed that the analysis be for commercial use. The Greene Barn Ad Hoc Committee recommendation was for mission-aligned mixed use gathering spaces with limited times of facility rental.
Naperville Preservation, Inc.
Honoring Our Built Heritage
Historic preservation is a celebration of community. It maintains a record Naperville’s history and culture by keeping buildings alive through adaptive reuse. It helps define our identity, keeps our community intact, and is part of a healthy community.
We believe that preservation pays. Historic preservation is good for our local economy:
- old buildings attract new businesses
- old buildings attract people
Historic Preservation is environmentally friendly. The greenest building is the one that is already built.
501 (c) (3)
VISIT!
The Greene Barn is owned by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.
THANK YOU!
Funds raised benefit the efforts to create outdoor engagement with the Greene Barn, expand awareness of its potential when open to the public, and to celebrate connecting people with nature and the cultural heritage of DuPage County.