I am a retired Civil Engineer and became a local amateur photographer. I did an extensive photographic tour of McHenry County beginning in 2023 to take pictures of more than 450 barnyards, rural landscapes, and interesting features; created a full color, soft cover, book titled “200 Pictures of Silos and Barns in McHenry County”; and then this exhibit. The $55.00 book is available from Amazon.com or you may contact me at russkingassoc@aol.com for copies. Any pictures in the book, including these pictures, are also available on an individual basis by contacting me. I asked for and received permission to use the pictures from the owners.

I selected these nine (9) photographs as examples of scenes from around the County –

• A single-family home in an urban area that has a very interesting roof.
• A single-family home that was converted from the original Barn and Silo.
• A single-room, rural schoolhouse. 5 or 6 still exist, although most of them have been converted into homes.
• A Silo and Gothic Roofed Barn completely restored with new shingles and siding. All barns need this, or they will continue to deteriorate, and many owners do not have enough money.
• A haymow, cleaned and repaired, showing the structural members.
• A haymow full of baled hay. Hay is used to feed cows during the winter.
• A dairy barn with a milkhouse, originally built in the late 1800’s, and silo. The farm is still active with both dairy and feeder cows. Note the marginal condition of the barn. I suggest that a TIF for this farm might allow the owner to spend money to improve the barn without increasing the tax burden.
• A large dairy barn, originally built in the late 1800’s. A catastrophic roof problem allowed damage, and no maintenance allowed the barn to begin to deteriorate. The entire barn will soon collapse and be hauled away.
• Cows crossing a rural stream.