Ever since the Schmuhl School stopped traffic as it was moved across the street last month, the vintage one-room schoolhouse has awaited the next step in its transformation to a museum showcasing the early history of New Lenox Township.
The next step in the journey is slated for 10 a.m. Wednesday, when the New Lenox Area Historical Society hosts a groundbreaking ceremony.
In addition to a foundation for the schoolhouse, the plan calls for adding a second building. The two structures would be served by a common entrance.
The Schmuhl School classroom itself is to serve as a replica of the one-room schoolhouses where early residents were educated. The second building would house other memorabilia of the early days.
The school building, no longer used by New Lenox Elementary School District 122, is now on Hickory Creek Forest Preserve land on the northeast corner of U.S. Highway 30 and School House Road.
The Will County Forest Preserve District has plans to construct a recreational trail in the area.