Historic house moves to DeKalb for family’s new home

DeKALB – The historic Hired Man’s House received a special lift Tuesday with the assistance of law enforcement authorities escorting the way from Sycamore to DeKalb.

It was all part of a collaboration between Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County and the DeKalb County History Center to reimagine the historic house on the move. The initiative was a long time in the making for the two entities, project leaders said.

DeKalb County History Center Executive Director Michelle Donahoe said it means the world to be able to finally relocate the historic Hired Man’s House.

“The History Center has been out here since 2008 and that [house] was our office and archives,” Donahoe said. “Then, when we were able to expand and become a county museum and opened our new facility in 2019. It was just sitting there empty. Now, we’re planning a campus expansion and it just didn’t fit. The original plan was to demolish the space. It was so hard. There’s got to be a better plan. And then, I met Kim at Habitat for Humanity.”

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A house is carried on a truck Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, down Pleasant Street in DeKalb. The home was moved from the DeKalb County History Center property in Sycamore to its new location on Pleasant Street by Devooght House Movers and Habitat For Humanity for Heaven Allen and her son who will be living in the home when it is completed. (Mark Busch)

The idea of relocating and renovating the Hired Man’s House grew from there, Donahoe said.

Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County Executive Director Kim McIver said she hopes people enjoyed reveling in the sight of the historic house as it made its way toward the 800 block of Pleasant Street in DeKalb.

“A lot of people have expressed that they’ve never actually seen this in person,” McIver said. “It’s more of an HGTV kind of thing. You know, big show. But I think a lot of people will remember this. Like remember when we saw the house driving down the road? It’s a little unique, but I think it’s cool.”

DeKalb resident Heaven Allen said she’s excited for what the relocation of the historic home signifies for her and her family.

“I hope it’s like the new chapter,” Allen said. “I’ve got this wonderful job now. I’m hoping for my son who’s growing up that he will start coming into himself. I believe having this house in this new community will really allow him to do that.”

Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County has a $150,000 budget for updating the house now that it’s been relocated to DeKalb.

That includes replacing the roof, redoing the upstairs bathroom, adding a bathroom in the basement, renovating the kitchen and installing an internal staircase.

Allen said she didn’t feel homeownership would have been possible had it not been for Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County.

“I’ve looked. I had been trying,” Allen said. “It was just one of those things where as a single parent sometimes you really have to budget where those funds are going to go, and homeownership was not in the equation.”

McIver pointed out that not only is Habitat working to address the housing shortage but it has an eye for historic preservation as well.

“It’s unique to say you’re moving a house,” McIver said. “There’s not many Habitats that have moved a home. So, we’re preserving history also. I’m a big believer of the walls in that home have stories that will now be shared with Heaven and her family. She gets to create new stories. I think there’s something symbolic about it.”