Homes by golf course on Mount Prospect Historical Society Housewalk

When the Mount Prospect Historical Society Housewalk kicks off on Friday, Dec. 4, it will be the 28th time that the society has raised money by coordinating a tour of private homes, both historic and modern, allowing people to see inside the homes they have driven past and wondered about for years.

This year's tour will highlight parts of the neighborhood adjacent to the beautiful Mount Prospect Golf Club and will run from 3:30-9 p.m., Friday, Dec. 4.

The interiors of six private homes will be featured. The exteriors of two other homes will also be highlighted.

The homes featured this year, both inside and outside, are: 514 S. Candota Ave., owned by Travis and Lindsey Phelps; 708 S. See-Gwun Ave., owned by John and Mary Claire Hunter; 523 S. We-Go Trail, owned by William and Nancy Foreman; 420 S. We-Go Trail, owned by Dave and Beth Diprima; 405 S. We-Go Trail, owned by Craig and Trish Chuipek; and 320 S. We-Go Trail.

The exteriors of 702 S. See-Gwun Ave. and 601 Na-Wa-Ta Ave. will also be highlighted with historical notes featured on lighted outdoor podiums.

All of the homes will be exciting to tour in their own ways, whether because of the historic flavor, lovely decorating or the renovation work that has been done, according to Jill Tumberger, housewalk co-chairman.

The tour will begin at the Mount Prospect Golf Club, 600 S. See-Gwun Ave., where refreshments will be offered and watercolors of the featured houses displayed. Museum store items will also be sold there. The "will call" table for tickets ordered through PayPal will also be located at the golf club.

Special this year will be the opportunity to dine within the area of the walk. The Mount Prospect Golf Club restaurant will be open for three seating's and will be offering a limited menu for $25 per person, inclusive and a cash bar. To make reservations for a specific time and reserve your meal, phone (847) 392-9006. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Central School restoration effort.

As usual, this walking tour will be accented by beautifully lit luminaria. Parking will be available along neighborhood streets and at the Golf Club.

Commentary in the homes will be provided by volunteers from local organizations, businesses, schools and the community. Local florists and homeowners will provide the decorations. This year's featured florists are Busse Flowers and Gifts, and The Purple Rose of Mount Prospect; Gigi's Blossoms and Baskets, and Pesche's Flowers of Des Plaines; and Mariano's Market of Arlington Heights.

Nonrefundable tickets will be sold for $25 each through Thursday, Dec. 3, at First Merit Bank, 50 N. Main St.; Mount Prospect State Bank, 299 W. Central Road; Busse Flowers and Gifts, 100 E. Northwest Highway; River Trails' Weiss Center, 1500 E. Euclid Ave.; Lions Park Recreation Center, 411 S. Maple St.; Millie's Hallmark, 1024 S. Elmhurst Road; Dave's Specialty Foods, 105 W. Prospect Ave.; and the Dietrich Friedrichs House museum, 101 S. Maple St.

Tickets are also available through PayPal at www.mtphist.org. Those tickets can be picked up at a "will call" desk located at the Golf Club during the walk.

Last-minute decision-makers may also purchase tickets on the day of the walk, beginning at 3 p.m. at the Golf Club, but the cost will be $27 per person at that time.

"The Housewalk is the society's largest fundraiser of the year," explains Tumberger. "Its proceeds support the many educational endeavors of the society and help to pay for upkeep on our museum. We urge the public to support our effort to preserve local history through enjoying the housewalk and our other activities throughout the year."

Since it began in 1988, the interiors of a total of 138 homes have been featured on the annual tour, earning over $230,000 for the society.

But it has certainly not remained static over the years. The holiday Housewalk has evolved from a Sunday afternoon driving tour highlighting homes all over the village, to a Friday night neighborhood-specific walking tour. And the evenings/afternoon's festivities have begun in such diverse locations as local churches, the Mount Prospect train station, a local bank and heated tents depending on the neighborhood featured.

So, on Dec. 4, five more homes (since one was also featured many years ago when owned by someone different) will join the ranks of Mount Prospect Housewalk homes. And both ardent longtime housewalk fans, and those who have never had the pleasure of touring local homes in the past, will enjoy an evening of holiday décor, lovely historic homes with great decorating and luminaria-lit streets. It is an evening that will have you, too, coming back year after year as a way to kick off your holidays while peeking into great local homes.

For information, log onto www.mtphist.org, check out the event's Facebook page or phone (847) 392-9006.

The Mount Prospect Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which is committed to preserving the history of Mount Prospect, through artifacts, photographs and both oral and written memories of current and former residents and businesspeople. On its campus in the heart of the village, the society maintains the 1906 Dietrich Friedrichs house museum and carriage house and an ADA-accessible education center. The society is also in the midst of an adaptive restoration of the 1896 one-room Central School, which was moved to the museum campus in 2008.

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