March 2019
This year, downtown Long Grove is investing $100,000 in the Park District to benefit the community for the next generation ahead. Updated, new parkland to complement the restoration of the historic covered bridge will help this hamlet reclaim and surpass its former glory. Bringing the old and new together, the Historic Downtown Long Grove Business Association is working with the Long Grove Historic Society on the plans for the infamous 100-plus-year-old bridge.
Last June, the National Park Service announced that the Buffalo Creek Bridge, more commonly known as the Long Grove Covered Bridge, was being placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This was the first property in Long Grove to receive this prestigious designation and only one of a handful or bridges in the State of Illinois. The bridge is Long Grove’s icon and its brand. The move to the National Register was supposed to put Long Grove on the map, federally. Sadly, just days after the National Register designation, the bridge was demolished by an errant box truck.
Achieving National Register status confirmed many beliefs in the bridge’s historical value, as well as the sentimental value locals, know it holds for their community. This source of pride for all of Long Grove will return soon once the Buffalo Creek Bridge is rebuilt as the shining gateway to town.