A brief (and mostly accurate) history of our neighborhood

Thomas Craughwell and his wife, Mary Lane, arrived in the Joliet area (Lockport) from Charleston, MA in 1850.  In 1853 they settled in what was then Plainfield, and bought 80 acres of land on the north and south side of Black Road in Troy Township’s northeast quadrant.
 

In the 1860's, six Troy Township schools were built. Because the areas population was still growing, by 1872, a total of ten schools had been built. One of these schools was built on land donated to Will County/Troy Township by the Cogswell/Craughwell Family in the mid 1870's for this purpose.  It was located on Essington Road across from the Henry Sing Farm between Black Road and Jefferson Street.
 

In 1903 Thomas Craughwell was Board President of the Sing School District #26 (formerly #4). In 1948 the Sing School was closed and the Consolidated District 30-C was formed on March 19, 1949.  A new Board of Directors was elected on April 9, 1949. One of the board members was Thomas’ son, John J Craughwell, and his term expired in 1950. In 1965, Troy Craughwell Elementary School opened and named for the Craughwell family that donated the land that the school, Timberline, Twin Oaks, and Burr Oaks neighborhoods now stand.

Twin Oaks West and Burr Oaks Subdivisions have had an active HOA (Homeowners Association) since development began in 1964.  The primary purpose of any HOA, and specifically TOWBOHA, is to ensure that an individual or group cannot  negatively impact the market value of homes in the neighborhood.  All homeowners living within the Twin Oaks West – Burr Oaks Subdivisions are automatically part of the association and subject to the rules and regulations set forth in the Covenants.  These Covenants are the set of rules and regulations designed to protect the value of each property.  Membership in an active HOA is automatic, meaning that home owners cannot "opt out".