Renovated Central School reopens to mark village's centennial
A dream came true Friday night for the people of Mount Prospect when the doors to the 121-year-old, one-room Central School reopened to a select group of invited contributors after an adaptive restoration that spanned 15 years.
Painters and carpenters worked on the final touches until less than a week before the Central School was to be used to re-enact the proceedings that took place when Mount Prospect was incorporated 100 years ago.
The vote to incorporate, the election of the original trustees and the first trustee meeting took place in the schoolhouse and in another local building, which was razed years ago.
Twelve local citizens, decked out in 1917 garb, played the parts of their forebears in a re-imagined re-enactment of those historic incorporation events. Schoolhouse donors watched from three remote viewing locations.
The re-enactment will be shown on local cable station MPTV and on the centennial website at www.mountprospect100.com beginning in a few weeks. A dedication ceremony and a communitywide open house are planned for Sunday, May 7. Plans are being developed for school field trips and private rentals.
It has been a long journey to reach this milestone.
The Mount Prospect Historical Society purchased the building for $1 from the former St. John's Episcopal Church in 2002 on the condition that the building be moved within five years.
However, raising $250,000 for a new foundation and the move was not easy and required negotiating a one-year extension. The schoolhouse was listed on Landmarks Illinois' 2007-08 Chicagoland Watch List and that preservation agency awarded a $2,500 grant in 2008 toward the move.
On May 28, 2008, the schoolhouse was moved about a mile to the Historical Society Museum Campus at 101 S. Maple St. in downtown Mount Prospect, and soon afterward, a new roof was donated. Then the recession hit, stalling work.
In 2012, the second phase of the fundraising effort kicked off in anticipation of the impending village centennial and donors have responded generously.
Amid many smiles and a collective sigh of relief, 15 years of efforts were rewarded Friday night.
The total cost of the relocation and restoration is approximately $490,000 and, to date, $450,000 has been raised.
The remaining $40,000 was borrowed temporarily from the historical society's operating funds to get the work done in time for the centennial, said Fank Corry, society president.
"The building has been moved, restored as closely as practical to its original design and function, and brought into compliance with current building and safety codes for public facilities," Corry said.
"Additionally, the installation of modern lighting, central heating and air conditioning - none of which had been included in the building's original design in 1896 - will help ensure that the restored schoolhouse remains a comfortable and frequently-used facility for decades to come."