Sycamore's Premier Subdivision

History

In the late 1920s, Harold and Helen Engh, who lived in New York with their four children, purchased 500 acres in Sycamore to build a summer home. They constructed a large home which included a swimming pool, bath house, tennis court, shuffleboard, 3-hole golf course, play house, and a sledding hill. They also developed a farm on the property, which is now the home of the Sycamore History Museum. The summers spent here were very memorable to the Engh family and they fondly referred to the property as "Merry Oaks".

In 2000, the Engh family sold the property to a developer with three stages of development planned. The property became known as “Heron Creek”. The Merry Oaks portion of the development was to be phase 3 and was originally named “The Country Estates of Heron Creek”. In 2010, the Homeowners Association changed the name to “Merry Oaks” in honor of the Engh family.

Property Features

Walking/Biking Paths

Enjoy over two miles of walking and biking paths around the neighborhood. The paths wind through woods, ponds, and across creeks, and connect to other neighborhoods and nature paths. Children and families can walk and bike to North Elementary School, the designated elementary school for the subdivision.

Woodlands

Several acres of protected woodland areas surround our neighborhood. Protected by zoning and the Sycamore Park District, the natural woods and wildlife that surround our subdivision are assured to be here for many years to come.

Ponds and Streams

The property has several picturesque bodies of water. The largest pond is home to fish and wildlife, such as the large herons who skim the surface on misty cool mornings. A small creek meanders through the property and can be crossed by bridges on the footpaths, and a small pond is tucked away in the middle of the woods.

Common and Open Areas

Merry Oaks maintains over six acres of common ground and the property is surrounded by open fields, protected woodland areas, and Sycamore Park District lands.