One-room 1895 Central School to move to its new home, finally

After many years of working to raise money, requesting donated labor and materials and working with contractors, the board of the Mount Prospect Historical Society is finally ready to move the 1896 one-room schoolhouse, Central School, to its permanent location next door to the Dietrich Friedrich house museum.

Central School was listed on Landmarks Illinois' Chicagoland Watch List for 2007-08 and was in danger of being demolished if it wasn't moved.

The half-mile move is planned for Wednesday, weather-dependent because the move involves digging and pouring the new foundation and moving utility lines out of the way.

"This is a great building with a huge amount of community support for the campaign to save it. It will certainly be quite an event when it is moved," said Gavin Kleespies, executive director of the society.

And be sure to mark your calendars for the Schoolhouse Move Party from 6 to 9 p.m., May 29 in the village hall boardroom, 50 S. Emerson St. Everyone is invited for light refreshments to celebrate the move.

But don't think that this is the end of the fundraising. Once the building is on its new foundation in the new location, the society will need to replace the roof and restore the interior, making it ready for its future as an education and community center.

This will bring it full circle because William Wille built the structure more than a century ago to double as a school and community center. Many organizations that are still active in town were founded in the little building and the village's papers of incorporation were signed there.

If you would like to help the effort by donating funds or services, contact the society at (847) 392-9006.

Shred Day: Do you have sensitive bank or medical records or other personal files that you would like to have securely disposed of and you don't have the time to feed all of them into your personal shredder?

Midwest Bank - Mount Prospect, formerly Mount Prospect National Bank, 50 N. Main St., will hold its annual Shred Day from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

You can take up to 100 pounds of paper and have it shredded for free by Iron Mountain, the disposal company the bank uses.

Beyond rain barrels: Would you like to grow a beautiful garden while also preserving limited natural resources and protecting the environment?

Julie Siegel, owner of J. Siegel Designs, Inc., a landscape design firm, will make a presentation at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Mount Prospect Public Library, 10 S. Emerson St., in which she will show stunning photographs while she talks about gardening with a heightened respect for nature. This program is co-sponsored by the Garden Club of Mount Prospect. To register, call (847) 253-5675 or visit www.mppl.org/events.