Old courthouse building - what's next?

In last week's (Jan. 15-21) The Woodstock Independent, Cort Carlson, the director of the Woodstock Community and Economic Development Department, weighed in with some information and an invitation.

The old McHenry County Courthouse and Sheriff's House sits on the Woodstock Square. How many people are familiar with its history and with its future?

The City of Woodstock, which now owns what we must not let turn into an embarrassing "white elephant", has created a new website at www.woodstockcourthouse.org

There is a link on the website to a new video on YouTube, which was written and directed by Woodstock resident Harold Rail of Afterglow Creative Services and is narrated by local storyteller and author Jim May. Take 18 minutes and watch the video. Make sure your whole family sees this video.

Soon there will be an online survey on the courthouse website for you to complete. Bookmark that site and return in the future to complete it. When I hear that it's on the site, I'll write about it. The survey questions can be read in Cort Carlson's column in the Jan. 15-21 Woodstock Independent.

NOW is the time to save the courthouse. Will a private developer or business partnership with deep pockets show up to fund its restoration? In my opinion, probably not.

The City of Woodstock should fund the restoration and preservation of the old courthouse. Go ahead and commit now to its preservation.

It is interesting that the old courthouse and the Opera House might have been demolished in 1972 for parking lots. What a huge mistake that would have been.

Grace Hall got away from Woodstock history a few years ago, and the wrecking ball and dump trucks removed all trace of it. I'll long remember the night that the Mayor and the City Council gave the OK for that. The People of Woodstock should make sure that the same fate does not meet the Old McHenry County Courthouse.

Watch the video.

I have a wonderful DVD titled the Courthouse Girls of Farmland. Seven women, all senior citizens (ages 77-94) of Randolph County, Indiana, raised money to fight off the demolition of their old courthouse. If you'd like to see the DVD, get in touch with me.