http://www.pioneerlocal.com/cgi-bin/ppo-story/localnews/current/sc/09-01-05-674288.html Pioneer families and their homesteads The Bierman-Steinmeyer farmstead, which stretches east from Barrington Road along Old Higgins Road, behind the Stonegate Conference Center, included three homes and several structures now in various states of disrepair. The following is a brief description a few of the historic homes, barns and farm buildings connected with the Bierman, Steinmeyer and Sunderlage pioneer families that can be located in the area. The Steinmeyer-Sunderlage farmhouse, Hoffman Estates, 1905. Built by Ester Bierman-Steinmeyer's parents, Herman Steinmeyer and Emma Steinmeyer-Sunderlage, the tall, graceful two-story building was surrounding by two barns, a hog pen, a smokehouse and a sprawling 1-acre garden that included berry bushes, fruit and nut trees and several bee hives. It was notable for its custom design which included twin front doors installed for easy ingress and egress for funerals. All the buildings except the smokehouse remain standing, but they will all likely be destroyed soon as St. Alexius Medical Center continues the expansion of its campus. A fire destroyed the Steinmeyer-Sunderlage farmhouse in 2003. Its cause was never determined. The original Steinmeyer farmhouse, Hoffman Estates, 1830s. More than the hand-hewn boards that make up its falling walls, the original farmhouse on the Bierman-Steinmeyer farmstead is special for its age and its place in the history of Schaumburg Township. Hoffman Estates has a small share of old buildings, but, if the best estimates stand up, the four-room Steinmeyer house has them all beat. The German schoolhouse (Bierman house), Hoffman Estates, 1879. The schoolhouse was originally built on property owned by the Evangelical Immanuel Congregation of Hanover Township, a German church. It was used to instruct students in Bible study classes taught in the locals' native language -- German. The old schoolhouse was sold to Harvey and Ester Bierman for $2,100, according to a booklet published in 1952 commemorating the 100th anniversary of the church. While the schoolhouse was moved to its present location on Barrington Road and became the Bierman's residence, the church remained on Old Church Road in Streamwood and is now called the Immanuel United Church of Christ. The Sunderlage farmhouse, 1856. Built by Johann and Catherine Greve-Sunderlage, the Sunderlage farmhouse is tucked behind the Hoffman Estates Community Center & Ice Arena at 1775 Vista Lane. In 1988, a group of developers paid renown historical preservationist William Hasbrouck to restore the home and convert it into a center for community gatherings. The farmhouse's highlights include its unique smokehouse (the only building in Hoffman Estates on the National Register of Historic Places) and the massive Austrian pine that flanks its front door. The mural by Chicago artist Malvin Marr Albright -- lesser-known identical twin of Ivan Lorraine Albright -- that once graced the building's foyer now lies under layers of paint and wallpaper. The Schuette-Bierman farmhouse, 1856. Built on State Road (Arlington Heights Road) and Clearmont Drive, the Schuette-Bierman farmhouse was moved to its current location at 399 Biesterfield Road in Elk Grove Village in 1975. It was built by Henry Schuette, who lived there with his wife Maria Schuette-Bierman. It is now home to the Elk Grove Historical Society's Farmhouse Museum.