WINDSONG ACRES
Turning a Vision
into Reality
Windsong Acres was born out of love. Throughout our marriage we have been passionate about restoring the beauty to things long forgotten. Windsong Acres is the result of the love we share with each other and became a labor of love for our family.
Jeff & Shelly Rasche
Owners, Windsong Acres
Restoring a
Forgotten Treasure
Windsong Acres features a historic 1912 barn in excellent condition that is a rare example of a "Show Barn". It has been featured on PBS television to showcase the highly unusual architectural features of this rare and beautiful barn.
The Show Barn
An Artist's Touch
Following the renovation of the Show Barn, the Raschesnext project was to work on the Scale House with the intention of creating an art studio for Shelly. It was called a "Scale House" because they could weigh wagons of grain on the large scale that is still embedded in the floor (and it still works today!).
Since it was dark inside (only one window, and it was boarded up), they added all the windows and the cupola in the roof to let in more light. They kept the beams and interior features, adding a new roof over the existing one to hide the insulation and wiring. They also converted one of the grain bins to a restroom, added a front porch, a loft and staircase, a fireplace, and a back room that would be easier to heat for Shelly's everyday use. The work took place over seven years, and except for hiring professionals for such things as installing the main electric panel, the furnace, and the shingles, the Rasches did all the work themselves.
The Scale House
Where Many Gather
In My Name
Added in 2018, the Reception Hall is the newest building at Windsong Acres. With the demand for weddings and events at an all time high, it was necessary to build a new space that could accommodate those demands. Designed to compliment the rustic style of the existing buildings on the property, the new hall has become a special place to gather.
The Reception Hall
Home Is Where
The Heart Is
In 2009, Jeff Rasche received a new church-related position at Chaddock in Quincy, creating the opportunity to live in the "retirement house" a couple decades early!
The Rasches completely gutted the farmhouse, replacing the old electric, plumbing, insulation, and furnace. They also removed the old, tiny kitchen and built on a larger one, plus a two-story addition on the south side of the house. The house was inhabitable by the end of a whirlwind four months, but the rest of the work to finish the house, room by room, took the next 7 years.
Our Home
The Graceful Beauty of Koi
Windsong Acres includes a total of four koi and goldfish ponds, which showcase a beautiful collection of large colorful koi in some of the largest and most involved ponds of this type in western Illinois. Jeff Rasche designed these ponds, and is the only person in Illinois to have achieved the “Certified Koi Keeper” designation from K.O.I. (Koi Organisation International). He has offered classes related to ponds and fish keeping, as well as doing consulting work for those considering their own backyard pond.
The Ponds
