Robert Vial, the second son of Joseph Vial, an early settler in the Flagg Creek area, built the home the Society has restored in 1856. The house was originally located on Plainfield Road on the property what has been known as the Timber Trails Golf Course. The house was moved to its present location in 1989. The Vial House is architecturally unique and incorporates both the Greek Revival and Italianate Styles. Robert Vial was a prominent resident of the area and held many positions within the Flagg Creek community. He served as a deacon of the Lyonsville Congregational Church, Township Highway Overseer and Treasurer of Lyons Township. He held the position of treasurer for 42 years and for much of that time kept all records and monies in his home office.
The Vial House is located on the property of the Pleasant Dale Park District at 7425 South Wolf Road in Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527. The FCHS has the house open the first Sunday of every month from April to October – 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and most Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. all year. Call Alice at 708-927-1092 to confirm hours. Come by and visit!
Both the Museum and the Robert Vial House can be opened upon request. Groups are welcome. Please contact Alice Latham at 708-927-1092 for information.
Moving Vial House
In the mid 1980’s, the Timber Trials Golf Course was a very popular golfing destination in the area. In addition to being a favorite golf stop, it was the home of an old house on the property.The Vial house was being used for storage and on occasion a part time office facility for the golf course maintenance people. The golf course owner had spoken on different occasions about demolishing the house to make room for additional parking for the golf facility.
Over the similar years span, the Flagg Creek Historical Society was holding meetings in the Lyonsville Church and also in the Pleasant Dale Park District facility. Discussions among the historical society leadership and members often referenced the subject matter of finding a permanent home in the area for the society. The opportunity came about for the society to obtain the Vial Home. The owner of the house, Roger Anderson, was agreeable to making the building available to the society with the stipulation that the house was to be moved from its location on the golf course to another site.
Excited with the possibility of obtaining a home, the society began to look for a potential site to relocate the house. After long negotiations and through the efforts of Ruth Martin and many other society members and supporters, the property on the Pleasant Dale Park District was secured.
The society paid $1.00 for the property and then hired the Grant Moving Company for $20,000 to relocate the house from the golf course to its current site on Wolf Road.
Early one morning in July of 1989, the house grew “legs” in the form of a trailer and tow truck. After loading the house on the trailer, a historic journey was initiated. The trip would take it west on Plainfield Road to Country Line Road.
The building then proceeded south to 79th Street and rolled on east to Wolf Road when the entourage proceeded north on Wolf Road to its current location. Over 15 hours later and to the delight of hundreds of onlookers, the 1856 Vial House reached its final destination. As darkness settled in, the house was located on its new foundation and the job for the society was only just beginning.
A multi-year restoration project brought the old house back to its near original status. The Flagg Creek Heritage Society can now boast of having the house which is on the National Register of Historic Places.