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Committee designates Echo Valley Farm in Campton Hills as a Kane County landmark
Summary
The committee approved a landmark designation for Echo Valley Farm, an approximately 11‑acre property with multiple historic agricultural buildings dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the owner plans rehabilitation using the county’s property-tax assessment freeze for historic restoration.
The Kane County Development Committee approved an ordinance to designate Echo Valley Farm (41W652 Beath Road, Campton Township / Campton Hills) as a Kane County landmark. The committee heard a presentation from the county historic-preservation planner describing the property’s historic features and its association with the Peterson/Johnson family; the farm includes an 1872-era residence, a main barn built in 1924 and several outbuildings (brooder house, milk house, chicken house and tool shed).
Planner LaVonne (Historic Preservation staff) said one distinctive feature is a poured-concrete foundation that predates widespread use of that construction technique locally; the house first appears on township maps from 1892. The property also meets criteria related to character and its role in local agricultural history: Mrs. Anna Peterson Johnson bought the small, 11-acre parcel to operate it as a hobby farm and later add modernizations. The owner, identified in the presentation as Mr. Johnson, plans to use the county landmark designation to qualify for the county’s property-tax assessment-freeze program; the program lets owners freeze property taxes for up to eight years if they spend at least 25% of the property’s assessed value on rehabilitation.
Commissioners asked about the property’s condition and plans for rehabilitation. Staff said the owner intends to pursue roofing, painting and other rehabilitation work and that a certificate-of-appropriateness review through the Historic Preservation Commission will accompany building permits. The committee voted to approve the ordinance (roll call unanimous).
