Ford School Returned to its 'Home'

After more than two hours of work last Friday, the Ford School has returned to its original home.

The building was moved from 2001 W. Algonquin Road in Algonquin to 302 Ramble Road in Lake in the Hills. The school is 20 feet by 36 feet and weighs approximately 22 tons.

The school, which was built in 1886, was moved to Algonquin when George Sticklemeyer purchased it for his farm in 1945.

“In order to save it, we had to move it,” said Arden Spooner, member of the Lake in the Hills Historical Society. “All of the buildings were knocked down here, about seven in all. The owner of the property called and said, ‘I would like to give you a schoolhouse.’ So we said, ‘great!’ It just so happened that the original location was available.”

With the school safely back at its original location, renovations on it will soon begin to bring it back to its original look. There are many volunteers and businesses that have donated aid with the project so far.

The LITH Historical Society continues to take donations to help pay for the renovations.

“We really have not gotten a lot of monetary donations,” Spooner said. “We have (been donated) services, which is incredible.”

Once fully renovated, Spooner said the school would serve as a learning tool for children.

“We want to make it into a school museum,” Spooner said. “We will let kids come in and spend a day in the one room schoolhouse.”

Area residents stopped out on Friday to watch the Ford School move. Jake Marino of Huntley said he was very glad the school was not going to be knocked down.

“It really is a blessing to have it back where it belongs and back where it started over 120 years ago,” Marino said. “It really is a fantastic thing to see it going back to its true home, to be safe where it won’t be knocked down for development.”