I was in McHenry County, Illinois in June for the Midwest Travel Network’s annual conference, and our group made stop after stop. Postcard charming historic downtowns, local shops, coffee, and breweries. All the spots you’d expect on an action packed itinerary. But one stop completely stole the show for me.
Outside, this monolith of a brick building, covered in ivy, piqued my curiosity. I didn’t know what to expect walking in. What I got was one of the coolest adaptive-reuse spaces I’ve stumbled into in a long time, and honestly, the whole aesthetic was just… my vibe. Instantly. Industrial chic. Brick, exposed beams, cast iron pipes, and worn wood floors that had that characteristic creek.. I immediately found myself separated from everyone else. This place begged to be discovered.
From Factory Floor to… Everything
The Starline Factory graces downtown Harvard, Illinois. The building itself dates back to 1883, and for a long stretch of its life it sat empty, falling victim to the elements and the passing of time. It became the hulking industrial shell that towns usually end up demolishing.
Instead, a local business owner named Orrin Kinney bought it in 2000, planning to use part of it for his metalwork, door and window manufacturing businesses. That was the whole plan.
Meanwhile Orrin’s son envisioned an artist space. Natural light from the large windows provided excellent lighting. Another section of the factory dilapidated space was renovated. Then someone asked if they could rent a corner for an art studio. Then someone else wanted one too. Then somebody wanted to throw an art show inside the building.
Then in 2010 Henry Farris’s (the original owner of the factory) great-great-granddaughter approached Kinney about the possibility of holding her wedding in the space. Again he went to work renovating the space where the roof had collapsed and the event space was born.
And little by little, without much of a master plan at all, a 278,000-square-foot factory turned into one of the most genuinely multi-use spaces I’ve ever walked through.
What’s Actually Inside
This is the part that got me. The building no longer functions as an active manufacturing space, but along with the home of an interior designer there is also:
- More than 35 artist studios, home to painters, potters, photographers, clothing designers — a genuine working creative community, not a curated “artist district” for show.
- The Starline Excursion Market, a 20,000-square-foot shop stuffed with art, home decor, antiques, and things you didn’t know you needed.
- The Stanchion Pub, tucked right into the industrial bones of the place. Check out the weekly Wednesday’s Trivia Night.
- Multiple event spaces, including a chapel built with pews and an organ salvaged from a 1917 church — and yes, this place hosts weddings, and a lot of them.
- A gallery that hosts immersive art experiences, drawing crowds for juried shows.
When I was there, it was the eve of the second part of the 2026 four part art series called “Emergence”. I wandered into one of the rooms where one artist was up on a ladder taping words to the walls. I chatted with her for a few moments. She explained what she was doing and about the theme for this second part of the series “Healing.”
Events are listed here.
I then found myself in the large gallery viewing the work already ready for the show. It was a joy to have this all to myself while everyone else was socializing in the big hall.
After we enjoyed our catered meal, I made my way to the pub for a drink and a bit of shopping inside the expansive market. Each booth contained something different. Antiques, decorative items, jewelry, and much more. It seemed to go on forever. You could literally spend a couple hours just inside the market.
The Starline backs up to the Harvard Metra Station. You can sit outside on the patio and watch the trains bring commuters to and from downtown Chicago. During the summer there are events held outside on the patio. Live music
Harvard itself, like all the picturesque towns in McHenry County are bursting with things that are just begging to be discovered.
And since I’m just a couple hours drive away here in Wisconsin, I intend to go back and visit The Starline Factory as well as many of the other things in the area again and again.
