Doesn’t this Dietrich Friedrichs House exude charm? It’s home to the Mount Prospect Historical Society. Since 1967 this society has been preserving Mount Prospect’s past.
Six people gathered around a kitchen table to start it. This happened after the village celebrated its 50th anniversary. Meta Bittner, Gertrude Moehling Francek, Edith Freund, Dolores Haugh, Doris Weber Norris and Jack Weber were the founders. They felt the community needed to document its own history.
From those humble beginnings the Mount Prospect Historical Society grew. It now has a full museum campus and archive. Professional staff run the historical society. A volunteer Board of Directors directs the staff. The Mount Prospect Historical Society offers activities and events for everyone.
The Historical Society’s first home was in a municipal building. It stood near the water tower at 112 E Northwest Highway. The historical society developed a small office there. They also began collecting artifacts.
The Historical Society moved to the 1901 Saint John Lutheran Schoolhouse in 1976. This was at 1100 Linneman Road. The move coincided with the national bicentennial. Interest in local history was growing at that time. The Society never owned the site however. They soon began looking for a permanent location.
The First Chicago Bank of Mount Prospect owned property at 101 and 103 South Maple Street. The bank wanted to rezone the property. They sought approval for a gated executive parking lot. This would have meant razing the Dietrich and Lena Friedrichs House built in 1906.
Neighbors protested against the rezoning. Rev. Kurt Grotheer spoke passionately. He was the home’s neighbor to the north. Eventually the bank’s request was denied. In 1987 the Bank offered to sell the house to the Village.
The Village then offered to rent the property to the Society. The Dietrich Friedrichs house is a typical Midwestern farmhouse. It was the thirteenth house built in town.
The Society decided to fundraise. They planned to restore the house. Over 13 years they gradually moved operations to the new location.
The Mount Prospect Historical Society opened its museum in 1992. This was after five years of restoration. The site reflects life in the early twentieth century. The restored garden replicates vegetation of that era.
The Society built an ADA-approved Education Center in 1995. This center provides wheelchair accessibility. It also offers a video tour of the museum. The Education Center hosts programs and temporary exhibits.
In 2002 the Society purchased the community’s first public school. The one-room Central School was built in 1895. It served as the only public school until 1927. The Central School also served as a meeting place. The Public Library and the Fire Department met here.
In 1917 the Mount Prospect Improvement Association met in the schoolhouse. They signed the papers incorporating Mount Prospect as a village. The Society purchased the building for $1 in 2002.
The building was moved to the Society’s campus in 2008. It reopened to the public in 2017. It again fulfills its roles of education center and community gathering space.
In 2019 the John Meyn Blacksmith Shop replica was added. It stands in the carriage house. The Meyn family provided funds for this transformation. Blacksmithing demonstrations are held on the campus.
The Mount Prospect Historical Society preserves buildings. It provides educational opportunities. The society is managed by trained staff. They operate under the direction of an active board.
The Mount Prospect Historical Society makes Mount Prospect’s history accessible. It ensures that the past is never forgotten.