Barbecue Fundraiser To Benefit Historic Aurora Schoolhouse

AURORA, IL—Who knew barbecue could be so beneficial? Your pork chop purchase could save history, or at least a small piece of it.

The Big Woods School Foundation will hold a drive-thru barbecue dinner fundraiser Saturday, June 5, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the historic 123-year-old Big Woods School, 3033 N. Eola Rd. in Aurora.

Proceeds will benefit the renovation of the one-room schoolhouse which was built in 1917-18. The schoolhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 2016.

Dinner choices are half chicken, two pork chops or a combination. Sides are apple sauce, baked beans, coleslaw and roll and butter. Meals are prepared by 5B's Catering of Waterman.

Tickets are $15. To order, call (630) 460-7193 or (630) 202-8206 or order online at bigwoodsschool.org.

Big Woods School Foundation is a nonprofit organization. Its main goal is to restore and maintain the historic character (including the interior and exterior) of the Big Woods School building and to educate children and the public about one-room schoolhouses.

The Big Woods School replaced the original Big Woods School, which was built in the mid-1800s and had fallen into disrepair. The red brick school building has a craftsman design.

It was one of the first schoolhouses in DuPage County, built after Illinois' Sanitation Law of 1915, which created a set of modern safety and sanitation standards for the state's public schools. The school's plan is essentially the same as that recommended by the state, with considerations for playground space, lighting, ventilation, and indoor plumbing.

In 1963, the school closed due to consolidation with two nearby schools and the building was sold to a private owner. It is now owned by Big Woods School Foundation, an Aurora-based nonprofit preservation group.