The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County will consider a proposal by James Privitt to relocate and restore the historic Oak Cottage.
At a meeting on June 2, the board of commissioners decided unanimously to direct district staff to coordinate details with Privitt for the relocation and restoration of the cottage.
Forest preserve sought partners for Oak Cottage restoration
Oak Cottage is currently located at 23W171 Hobson Road in the Greene Valley Forest Preserve. Built in 1850 by early settler William Briggs Greene, the two-story Greek Revival-style farmhouse has been vacant since 1983.
The district evaluated the cottage’s condition in June 2024 and found several structural issues.
In June 2025, the Forest Preserve board issued a request for statements of interest regarding the restoration of Oak Cottage.
Restoration interest from private citizen
The board was presented with two proposals in December. One came from the Naperville Outdoor Alliance, offering to keep the cottage at its original location and restore it as a cultural center to open in 2029.
The other came from Privitt, who expressed interest in relocating the farmhouse to be his primary residence for restoration and periodic tours.
Privitt’s motivation to restore the cottage is personal as it hits close to home—literally.
“I passed it nearly every day as a kid,” Privitt said. “My dad and I would often stop on our bike rides to admire the house and barn, and I was always the person pointing it out whenever we drove by. It’s been a landmark in my life for as long as I can remember.”
His fascination with the house as a boy sparked a passion for history and preservation into his adult years, leading to work at Naper Settlement researching and documenting historic buildings.
“Once a historic building is lost, it can never truly be replaced,” Privitt said. “Oak Cottage is an irreplaceable part of DuPage County’s history, and my goal is to help find a practical, long-term solution that preserves the building, respects its historic significance, and ensures it has a sustainable future for generations to come.”
Board approved district agreement with Privitt
In December, the board deemed Privitt’s proposal the less costly of the two options and approved the district to make an agreement with him.
The motion passed at the June 2 meeting will allow the district to further explore Privitt’s proposal.
“I think we need to give this a chance,” District 5 Commissioner Barbara O’Meara said at the June 2 meeting. “I think that it’s important. We’ve got a viable plan for maybe the first time in 40 years for usage of this building.”
Privitt said the project could be finished in two years and noted that he has a history of relocating and restoring historic buildings in his proposal.
Naperville Preservation concerns
But local organization Naperville Preservation, Inc. has concerns over removing the house from its original location and separating it from the Greene Barn, which sits next to the cottage at the current site.
It also has questions about funding, public access to the cottage once relocated, and whether it will still qualify for the National Register of Historic Places. The group’s preference is to have the site restored at its current location.
“Oak Cottage is so much more than an iconic American white farmhouse; it is a window into the cultural heritage of the Naperville area,” said Bill Simon, a board member of Naperville Preservation. “At a time when Naperville’s agricultural history is being celebrated in museums and honored in bronze statues, it is important to preserve its original agricultural structures where they were built, in their original context.”
Next steps for relocation
For the district to move forward with Privitt’s proposal, specific details still need to be discussed, including the project’s financial needs and the district’s contribution.
Privitt’s proposal estimated the project would cost $885,000 to $1,085,000 in total. He requested financial assistance from the district, totalling $290,000 to $370,000 for relocation and establishment, as well as additional utility costs. Privitt also asked the district to plant about 10 trees to contextualize the cottage in its original landscape at the new location.
At the board meeting, Commissioner Linda Painter said the board’s approval of the plan would not, by itself, constitute acceptance of Privitt’s financial request.
If district staff choose to proceed with the plan, a contract will be established to move the cottage to one of two locations for restoration, the specifics of which have not been disclosed. Both locations are in DuPage County, and at least one is within two miles of the original site.
“Nothing’s guaranteed. We don’t know that this will come to fruition,” O’Meara said in an interview. “But it’s a good start.”
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