Ginny and Gar O’Leary were the first homeowners in Carriage Way and in 1977 they graciously offered to write down what they knew of the history of the area for the Burr Ridge Bicentennial Booklet printed in 1976.  The following is taken from our 1977 telephone directory.

 

What we know as Carriage Way in Burr Ridge stated in its first development as a large dairy farm. Owned by Mr. Babcock, a manufacturer of dairy products, the farm was a showplace called “Four Pines Farm”.  These trees grew at the north entrance at the crest of the hill at County Line Road.

 

The large gracious older home at the north side of the entrance was the home of the farmstead. When the subdivision was being developed, another house and several farm buildings stood nearby.

 

The farm was later purchased by Mr. Cleary. A land trust formed by Lloyd McCaugherty purchased the farm in 1955 from Mr. Cleary. A portion of the land on the east was sold to the Tollway Commission.  At this time the remaining land was graded to its present contours and our lake, which some of the neighbors call Seven Acre Lake, was created.

 

Mr. McCaugherty, in the meantime, spent several years creating a planned development plan that was finally acceptable to the Village of Burr Ridge.  The plan, covering all the area from Post Road on the north to Tower Drive on the south became part of the overall Village long range plan.

 

In the spring of 1964, the first construction of roads, utilities and homes was underway. The first residents were the Garner O’Leary family whose home is on the corner of Stirrup and Post Roads, originally in the area of the barnyard.  They moved in on September 3, 1964, followed by the Richard Poindexters just in time for Thanksgiving of that year.

 

The Robert Kubis, Earl Grey, William Petty, Robert Plechaty, and Donald Wolf families came within the first year.  Linda Wolf, born in May 1966 is distinguished – she was the first Carriage Way baby.  At this time the old farmhouse was the residence of the John McCaughertys.  In 1966 the other farm buildings were torn down. 

 

The Harold Smiths built the first house on what is now Post Road.  In the original plan this was named Bridle Path Lane.  Mrs. Smith persuaded the Village to change the name to Post Road.  She said that having six children she couldn’t live with a street address that was pronounced “bridal”.

 

Soon the Carriage Way Property Owner’s Association was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation.  Basically the agreement with the Hinsdale Sanitary District required a legal entity to interface with the HSD regarding the sewer system.  This along with the need for grounds maintenance and a social catalyst for the area were reasons for CWPOA.

 

Carriage Way now has 82 single-family residence lots, 37 townhouses and 132 condo units in three buildings.  It is thriving and well in the new century.  It is a tribute to the Village officials and Lloyd McCaugherty’s vision and foresight.

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