Some philanthropists give millions of dollars to get their names on new hospital wings or academic buildings.
In Mt. Prospect, the donations of a few businessmen will be used for something a bit more humble but still important, aiding efforts to move and restore the 19th Century, one-room Central School building.
Norwood Builders President Bruce J. Adreani and Michael Chapman, a local resident and owner of Chicago Town Concrete, have agreed to pour a new full basement foundation for the schoolhouse.
A basement means that the Mt. Prospect Historical Society can keep some items closer to home. About 60 percent of the society’s collection is in storage under the Randhurst Shopping Mall. The rest is in the society’s education center.
Condominiums built by Norwood are being sold at two locations in Mt. Prospect, and two more projects are under way.
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“We consider being involved in this important historical preservation a privilege,” Adreani said. “We were instrumental in helping move the historic General Store, and we are equally excited to be involved in the schoolhouse move.”
Other services or supplies will be donated by Ex/Tech Evacuating and Peterson Roofing Inc., both of Arlington Heights. Mt. Prospect firefighters who also are electricians have offered to help out.
The building is the only 1800s-era structure in Mt. Prospect that will be open to the public.
“I think it’s a great community-wide event, inclusive of all the groups in town,” said Gavin Kleespies, director of the Mt. Prospect Historical Society. “It has really galvanized people and made them want to help out.”
Kleespies estimates that the excavation and move will be completed by next spring. The building will move a half-mile from 200 N. Wille St. to 103 S. Maple St., next to the Historical Society.