Museum Campus
A Barrington Pioneer Story
The Applebee House
Gilbert A. Applebee was born in Canada in 1799. In his early years he moved to New York State and worked in the logging business. In 1822, he was married to Betsey Crabtree and they lived in Spafford, Onondaga County, New York, where 9 of their 12 children were born. In 1838, they came west in a covered wagon and went first to Crystal Lake.
Out one-day hunting, Applebee discovered the beautiful tracts of land around Spring Lake, on early maps often referred to as Mud Lake. He moved the family here and a log cabin was built on property southeast of the corner at the present-day Sutton and County Line Roads.
At this time, the surveys of Northern Illinois were being completed and the public domain land sales began in 1840. The records for Township 42, Range 9, North, are among those preserved in the Illinois State Archives. On September 9, 1840, Gilbert Applebee purchased 325 acres from the government for $1.25 per acre. In 1843 and 1844, he added another 160 acres to his holdings.
In 1854, the extension of the Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad northwestward from Des Plaines towards the Wisconsin border provided the impetus for the founding of the village of Barrington at the Lake/Cook County Line Road. At that time, Applebee acquired acreage just west of the new village on West Main Street in Cuba Township. At that time, he moved from the farm to a property near the village, where he built a house. His son John took over the farm, which remained in the Applebee family for another 50 years, becoming known as the Applebee Trace.
In 1888, the West Main Street House burned. Within a year, it was rebuilt to the scale and style that are seen today. The outlines of the earlier foundation can be seen in the present basement, but no record has been found of what the earlier house looked like.
In August of 1889, Emaline Hawley Brown, writing from the Octagon House across the street, had the following comment:
“Yesterday, grandpa Appleby (sic) was 90 years old and they had a picture of their house taken with five people standing out, representing the five generations. Little Maud and her mother, grandmother, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather. They had a large party of their relatives there in honor of Grandpa’s birthday. Gilbert Applebee died in 1894. His obituary provided part of the information that was the basis for restoring and interpreting the house.”
Emaline Hawley Brown, August 1889
From the Barrington News, Saturday, May 12, 1894 Information about Gilbert Applebee was provided by his daughters, Mrs. Jane Robinson and Mrs. Rhoda H. Waterman, during an interview with Arnett C. Lines in 1919. They said that his old-age hobby was cutting hickory axe handles and that he always ate sugar on his potatoes. Mrs. Robinson also related the following verse:
A Bisbee married a Crabtree A Crabtree married an Applebee An Applebee married a Maybee A Maybee married a Weatherbee
Other sources include the “Barrington Review” and “Barrington News” newspapers; Arnett C. Lines, Applebee Geneology; Illinois State Archives, Public Domain Land Sales in the State of Illinois; and the Barrington Area Historical Society Photograph Archives.
By dedicating the restoration of The Applebee House to Mrs. Pauline Hart Smith, a circle of coincidence has been completed. Part of the original Applebee Farm came into the ownership of the Harold Byron Smith family and remains today as open space. Sections of the farm west of Sutton Road became part of the Cook County Forest Preserve District and one of the most remarkable natural resources in Northern Illinois.
The Donlea-Kincaid House
This Folk Victorian style house was built in 1898 for Mrs. Patrick Donlea, who moved here from the countryside when she was widowed. She lived in the house until 1942. The home was then acquired by Henry and Ruth Kincaid, who occupied it until 1987 when it was purchased and donated to the Barrington History Museum. This house is an excellent example of the vernacular architectural style from the late Victorian period, typical of the Barrington area.
Exhibit Center
The exhibit center, also known as Old Barrington Center, is where the Barrington History Museum houses most of the exhibits. Currently we have the Doll Exhibit, the Tolpo Art Exhibit, the Miller Grove exhibit, the Native American exhibit, the McGinley Exhibit, Legion Baseball, Plum Tree Farm, and Old Barrington exhibit.
To make an appointment or put in a request for information, please call during the hours we are open.
Blacksmith Shop
In 1999, the original Wichman Blacksmith Shop dating back to 1929 was moved from its original location on Station Street in downtown Barrington to the grounds of the Barrington History Museum, located behind the Donlea-Kincaid House. The Creet Carriage Barn, a forge, and a lobby area were added to the Blacksmith Shop to create a historical streetscape.