Local History (McHenry County and surroundings): January 2014

          As towns grow, the need for learning must expand. Though the buildings changed, one site in Huntley remained the center of learning for almost a century. From 1860 until 1955, the land just east of the First Congregational Church on Main St. was home to two different public schools. Expanding the knowledge of some of Huntley's finest young minds, the first wood structure and the later brick structure served to educate ninety-five years of small town residents.
          Decades after the first school was constructed west of town, 1860 saw the construction of a single story wood frame structure located on Main St. Just one year later, the school had a second story constructed, due most likely to increased enrollment. From then until the 1870s, this structure served as the home of learning to the residents of the growing community.
          By the 1870s, the industrious community had grown and the small wood school could no longer accommodate the residents. The town decided a new school must be constructed. To do this, they looked to an Aurora architect by the name of Joseph P. Mulvey. Mulvey designed a two story brick structure consisting of two spiral staircases, four classrooms, and a cellar. Once approved, the two structures on the site of the future school, the old wood school and a small wood house, were sold for a price of $294.80 and moved. The two story wood school was moved around the corner where it remains today as apartments at 11006 Church St. The small wood house was moved to an unknown location, though it may be possible that it was combined with the wood school on the south wall.
          The new brick school was finished in 1875, and at the time was considered the "neatest school in McHenry County."  A solid brick and masonry structure, the two spiral staircases were located at the front of the school and the four classrooms were separated evenly with two on each floor split by a central hallway. Huntley continued to grow, however, and in the early 1900s the school was running out of room. A new addition was planned and proposed for the residents to vote on. To help the residents visualize the new addition, a painting of the proposal was set up in the lobby of the State Bank of Huntley. Residents agreed with the plan and the addition was approved. Finished in 1909, the addition added two more classrooms, a sick room, and a large staircase in the back. Due to how steep the front spiral stairs were, students were eventually told to only using the stairs at the rear of the structure for safety. Bathrooms were eventually moved indoors to the basement, though the arrangement was only one step up from an outhouse.
          In 1920, Huntley became the first town in McHenry County to consolidate its rural schools with the town school, creating Dist. 158. It was at this time that the school purchased its first school buses to bring in students from the farms. The new buses were Model T Fords that had rows of bench seats along the sides. At one point, senior year students were used for driving the buses. Because of the influx of students from the rural schools, the old brick school once again became too small. To remedy this, high school classes were moved to the upper level of the Hawley building that faced Main St. (above Shampooch and Kitty now). This remained the situation until 1924, when the new high school was finished next door to the old brick school. After the high school opened, the old brick school became the elementary school until 1956, when a new school was constructed on Rt. 47 to house all grades.
          After closing, the old brick school became apartments, as it remains today. In the 2000s, the old school, called Huntley Apartments, was purchased by the First Congregational Church as land for a future expansion. Although its future is in doubt, the old brick school still stands as a corner stone for not only the downtown, but also to Huntley's rich past.