WOODSTOCK – As the city looks to the future of the Old McHenry County Courthouse, those dedicated to preserving the 154-year-old structure are examining the building’s past.

Opened in 1858, the building was home to McHenry County government and the court system through the 1970s, when the county moved operations to Route 47 and Ware Road. The building then was sold to private investors.

The county had outgrown the building long before it left the structure with an outdated mechanical system, window air conditioners, partially closed window openings and no handicap access to the second floor. Private owners let much of the building deteriorate, city officials said.