Dickson-Murst Farmstead
Montgomery
Most campaigns to save a significant property are led by a grassroots group of citizen preservationists. In contrast, the effort to save this three and a half-acre historic farmstead from development was spearheaded by the Village of Montgomery and its president, Marilyn Michelini. In 2002, when a developer proposed a 108-acre residential subdivision that included the farmstead, the village’s annexation agreement included a provision to temporarily preserve the site, giving time to save the farmhouse and the seven outbuildings. When a deal by the Kendall County Forest Preserve District fell through, the village stepped in and bought the site—for $232,000—using open space fees from two adjacent developments. Earlier this year, it conveyed the property to a local conservation group, which is using the 1939 farmhouse for office space and the other buildings for various community uses. The farmstead, which is located at 1004 Dickson Road, dates to 1863 and had been identified as a conservation area in the village’s 2002 comprehensive plan.