McHenry

The town of McHenry, Illinois is located in east central McHenry County, about 55 miles Northwest of downtown Chicago, and 35 miles from Chicago-O’Hare airport. It is centered on two major state highways: Illinois Route 31 (North to South from Wisconsin to south Elgin) and Illinois Route 120 (West to East from Woodstock to Park City/Waukegan).

Historically speaking, Major William McHenry, in 1832, led an expedition force through northern Illinois during the Black Hawk War, after which, over the next years, settlers moved into the Fox River Valley. In 1836, the hamlet of McHenry was established on the west bank of the Fox River, at the site of an old Indian river ford. During the following year, a saw mill, hotel and ferry were built/opened; McHenry County was created in 1837 and the village served as county seat until 1844. A railroad route from Chicago, via the Fox Valley railroad line, was secured by the first state senator, George Gage, which aided the expansion of businesses as well as village development. This led to incorporation in 1872, with less than 800 inhabitants in residence.

McHenry grew slowly over the next 50 years, becoming known as a resort destination due to the Fox River, surrounding lakes, and easy accessibility from Chicago. Boat building was a natural industry to flourish in the area, and marine recreation remains important to residents and visitors alike. Currently McHenry is undergoing expanding development of residential housing, with concurrent development of education facilities to meet the needs of families moving into the area. Extensive community services are offered, with more in development. Currently the Lakeland Park Community Center and McHenry Recreation Center offer programs and field trips for all ages: there are 38 parks and facilities for family, individual and community activities, as well as group exercise programs, a Skate Park, and McBark Dog Park. The Merkel Aquatic Center is available for classes and Open Swim times. A full description of offerings and schedules is available through the McHenry website.

Testimonials

Lisa knows her business. She communicated what would happen at the beginning and then followed through. She was easy to talk with when we had questions and always had the right answer. Our sale was almost a non-event it was so smooth.... - Hank R.

Thank you. No words can express my gratitude for everything you do.... - Manjula S.

Lisa Kowalenko goes above and beyond in representing the client, discussing positives and negatives as well as keeping the client informed and involved. Her comments and advice are reality based and saved me weeks of indecision.... - Michele H.

Lisa had patiently waited until we were ready to sell and buy another property. She had excellent knowledge about house structures and building codes and materials. She knows our area well and was familiar with most of the local agents. She had answered all my... - Martina S.

It was a real pleasure working with Lisa. Her professionalism made everything less stressful. I always would deal with her again. Thank you, Lisa... - Ilse Shelton

I knew Lisa from some years back, when she helped my parents move from their original family home. It was a tough situation but she made it happen and it all worked out for us. So when I moved back to Illinois and began looking... - Jeremy C.

Thanks for being our friend and taking on the sale of our home. We could be so sure that we were in good hands and had nothing to worry about!... - Gerda and Irene P.