Oak Cottage & Greene Barn

William Briggs Greene settled and bought the in 1843. He built Oak Cottage was built in 1850 and as the farm expanded, the 14,000 square foot dairy barn was added in 1870. The farmstead, after serving 6 generations, was donated by the Greene family to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage county in 1971.

The barn has been stabilized, but the cottage is now at risk of demolition if a purpose is not found for it. (Landmarks Illinois included Oak Cottage on its 2023 list of most endandered places.) The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is soliciting interest in a long-term use and maintenance in this wonderful building. Please see:

• The Request for Statements of Interest For Reuse and Oak Cottage Cultural Resource Evaluation

• News articles regarding this long-term use request.

  • 2025.06.17 FPDCC: Forest Preserve District Seeks Proposals for Adaptive Reuse of Historic Oak Cottage

  • 2025.07.05 Daily Herald: DuPage forest preserve seeks new vision for historic home

  • 2025.07.02 NCTV17: DuPage Forest Preserve seeks partner to revamp, reuse historic Oak Cottage

  • 2025.06.27 Chicago Tribune: DuPage officials hoping user will emerge to renovate Oak Cottage in Naperville’s Greene Valley Forest Preserve

The deadline for submittals is October 16, 2025.

Please visit The Greene Barn website for more information about the history and future of these historic structures.