Barn Registration Program

Thank you for your interest in the McHenry County Historical Society's Barn Registration Program.  Unfortunate as it is, this program may become the only record of barns that once predominated in McHenry County.

This registration program, which started in 1999, will continue over many years to collect information on all types of barns - be they dairy barns, carriage barns or abandoned barns. 

The registration forms will be kept on file at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum's Local History Research Library in Union where they will be preserved and made available for research.

A Certificate of Registration will be mailed as soon as the application is complete and approved.  Participants will be invited to the Society's annual meeting in June for recognition.

It is important to include as much information as possible on each of the barns and barn builders, so participants are urged to be as thorough as possible in filling out the form. Assistance is available through the Historical Society.

The Society does reserve the right to withhold the certificate because of insufficient information.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation offers these tips: Click HERE!

Barn or Agricultural Building rehabilitation incentives

For barn or agricultural building rehabilitation incentives, see section 179 of the Farmers Tax Guide (publication 225) for tax deduction information. One can deduct the cost of rehabilitating a single-purpose agricultural structure up to $25,000 in 2003. Use IRS form 4562 (Depreciation Deduction). www.irs.gov Also see 10% Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit above.

FILL OUT THE BARN REGISTRATION FORM BELOW, THEN SUBMIT