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Name: Busse School
School District: 57
Grade levels: K-8
Built: 1956
Is it still standing? No
If not, when was it demolished? 1994
Is it still a school? no
History:
The Busse School was a definite product of the Baby Boom in Mount Prospect. The school stood at the intersection of Owen and Henry Streets and was built in 1956. With shifting demographic trends, the School District 57 faced declining enrollment through the 1970s. By 1982, the school district was forced to close the Busse School, although there was a large public outcry. In 1987 School District 57 sold the building to the Mount Prospect Park District, who rented the building out to a number of different organizations and then in 1994 demolished it to construct Busse Park. When the building came down, a number of alumni of the school commented on it being the end of an era of neighborhood schools where parents could see the school from their front porch and the children could go home for lunch in nice weather.
Name: Central Standard School
School District: 57
Grade levels: K-8
Built: 1927
Is it still standing? No
If not, when was it demolished? 1975
Is it still a school? no
History:
The Second Central School or the Central Standard School is one of the best remembered schools in Mount Prospect. It was built in 1927 and at the time was a great leap forward. Mount Prospect went from having one classroom for the entire town to having five. The Central Standard School was originally four rooms. Over the years, it was expanded a number of times. The first addition was built in 1937. There were a number of other additions to the Central Standard School over the years. Eventually, the additions to the school became larger than the original school. With the baby boom in Mount Prospect, there were many other schools built in the 1950s and when the school population started to fall off in the 1970s, the Central Standard School was seen as obsolete. The last year that the Central Standard School was open was the 1969-1970 school year. In the 1970s and 80s Mount Prospect’s schools were faced with rapidly falling enrollment, and many schools were closed, sold or demolished. In 1975 the Central Standard School, with all of its additions, was razed.
Name: Feehanville School
School District: 26
Grade levels: K-8
Built: First building 1882
Second building 1924
Is it still standing? No
If not, when was it demolished? First building demolished some time after 1924, the second building was demolished in 1984
Is it still a school? no
History:
The history of the Feehanville School goes back to 1882 when Archbishop Patrick Feehan purchased the River Bend Knott Farm with the intention of establishing a training school to house the children displaced or made orphans by the Great Chicago Fire. He soon opened Saint Mary’s Training School, which was later renamed Maryville Academy. As a part of this development a small one-room schoolhouse was built for the local farm children. This stood on River Road, in what is today part of the Cook County Forest Preserve. In 1895 the River Trails School District 26 was founded to operate the school. One teacher taught 5 to 10 students in all the grades. The responsibility for providing room and board for this schoolteacher fell on the neighboring farmers, generally the Runge family and the Piepenbrink family. When the forest preserve took over the land, the school was moved to 1400 Kensington Road. The original one-room schoolhouse was replaced in 1924 by a brick, two-room school. The original building was sold to a neighboring farmer. Although it is not clear when it was eventually demolished, one story is that it was moved and used it as a hen house. The two room building continued to be used until 1982, when the school was closed due to changing demographics. Today all that is left of the Feehanville School is the school bell which was rededicated in 1995 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the River Trails School District.
Name: Lions Park School
School District: 57
Grade levels: K-8
Built: First building 1956
Second building 1995
Is it still standing? First no, second yes
If not, when was it demolished? First building demolished in 1993 to make way for second
Is it still a school? Yes
History:
The first Lions Park School was built in 1956 at the height of Mount Prospect’s explosive post war expansion. The population grew from around 4,000 to around 19,000 between 1950 and 1960, and most of these new residents were young families. This created a massive imbalance in the number of students and the school facilities. New schools were built at a dizzying rate, although this happened with some serious resistance, as the older established community watch their town be radically changed. One major issue that came about because of this massive development in such a short time was that all the children grew up at about the same time. With shifting demographic trends, many of the schools built in Mount Prospect in the 1950s were closed and demolished. Lions Park was one of the schools that survived the 1970s and 1980s, but as the demographic trends started to shift again with rising enrolments in the 1990s, many schools in Mount Prospect were found to be inadequate. Beginning in 1993, School District 57 began attempting to pass a referendum to build new facilities. After the referendum failed twice, it finally passed by a thin margin on the third attempt. Ironically, the people voting against the referendum were the same people who had moved to the community in the 1950s, insisted on the construction of many new schools, and faced opposition from the residents who had lived here longer. With the passage of the referendum, School District 57 had $13.5 million to modernize their facilities. The original Lions Park and Fairview Schools were raised, as the environmental issues in the buildings made it impossible to renovate and expand them. New Lions Park and Fairview Schools were built on top of the locations of the original schools and the new Lions Park School was opened in 1995.
In 1998 Lions Park School hosted a visit from then first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and then senator Mosely Braun. The 5th graders at Lions Park School also participated in a 24 hour space shuttle simulation with students of Fairview school in 2001.
Name: Maryville Academy
School District:
Grade levels: K-12
Built: First building 1882
Second building 1899
Is it still standing? Yes
If not, when was it demolished? First building burned in 1899 and was rebuilt
Is it still a school? Yes
History:
Maryville is one of the oldest and most famous schools in the northwest suburbs. In 1880 Archbishop Patrick A. Feehan came to Chicago and was confronted with young boys who were living on the streets and were forced to steel to stay alive. He turned to wealthy church members and was able to raise funds to purchase land for the founding of a institution to help aid these children. In 1882 Archbishop Patrick A. Feehan purchased the 440 acre River Bend Knott Farm with the plan to transform it into a training school for boys. He hoped to be able to teach the young boys both academic programs and the skills that they would need to be “productive citizens of the world.” It was originally called Saint Mary’s Training School for Boys and started with four Christian Brothers, one of which was Bernard Fackeldey AKA Brother Teliow, who became the first supervisor of the school. The first class was approximately 30 young boys from Chicago. By 1883 the school housed over 120 students. The early founders believed in being open to boys from all races, religions and backgrounds, so they admitted 51 young Native American boys from the Sioux and Chippewa tribes. However, these students had been relocated by the federal government from reservations in the Southwest and were not prepared for the harsh winters. Five of these students died in the first year and the others were returned to their home reservations.
In 1887 the school purchased the neighboring Parmalee Farm, adding 400 acres to the schools holdings. By the early 1890s the school had grown to over 325 students, most of whom were Cook County wards. In 1899 a fire consumed most of the school, however the Catholic Churches in the area rallied together and raised enough money to rebuild the facility and enlarge it to house up to 1600 students. In 1902 Archbishop Feehan died and was replaced by James E. Quigley. One of the most important things that Quigley did was to make the school co-educational. In 1906 Quigley replaced the Christian Brothers with the Sisters of Mercy in preparation and in 1911 the school became co-ed. The student population reached its highest levels in the 1930s, when many families were not able to support their children. In 1950 the school held a contest to rename the institution. The name that was chosen was “Maryville, City of Youth.” In the 1960s and 1970s, the enrolment shrank as many social workers began to favor foster homes over institutional housing. The school was shaken at the end of 2002 with the suicide of a resident student. This brought on a critical review of the institution, which showed some serious issues, and major changes to the administration and operations of the school were undertaken.
Name: Prospect High School
School District: 214
Grade levels: 9-12
Built: 1956-57
Is it still standing? Yes
If not, when was it demolished?
Is it still a school? Yes
History:
Around the turn of the century there was a discussion about the need for a high school in the northwest suburban area. There was a lot of opposition to the founding of a new school, at least in part because much of the community was still agricultural and very conservative and they did not want the government to spend money on education. At the same time, there was also a national discussion about voting rights. Women still did not have the right to vote. Some states, mostly on the east coast, had passed laws either giving women complete or partial voting rights starting in the 1800s. Illinois gave women the right to vote for school board members in 1891 but did not grant them the right to vote for the U.S. President and local offices or referendums until 1913. Even then, women were not allowed to vote for state representatives, congressmen, or the governor and because of this, women had to use separate ballots and separate voting booths. Finally in 1920 the 19th amendment was passed and women were given full voting rights nationally. This all relates to the history of Prospect High because it was in 1914 that an election was held to found a high school district for Wheeling, Elk Grove, and Palatine Townships and because of the change in the Illinois state law in 1913, this was the first election women were allowed to vote in. Because of the women’s vote, the referendum passed. Had only the men’s votes been counted, the referendum would have failed. The conservative people who had opposed the founding of a high school contested the legality of this vote until it was finally upheld in the Illinois Supreme Court in 1922. The School District built Arlington High School on Euclid road, which served the entire region for years.
In early 1950, with an increasing population, a referendum was held to build a second high school in the area. This was again opposed by many of the conservative community members and the referendum failed the first two years it was proposed. By 1956 students were forced to attend Arlington High in shifts and the community finally supported the referendum, although, by then the land prices and constructions cost had risen so quickly that the project cost far more than it would have two years earlier. Construction began immediately and the school open in 1957. The first year the school only served freshmen and they added a new grade level every following year for three years. The school has gone on to have a long legacy, far outlasting Arlington High. The sports teams and bands have won statewide and national acclaim.
Name: River Trails Middle School
School District: 26
Grade levels: 5-8
Built: 1965
Is it still standing? Yes
If not, when was it demolished?
Is it still a school? Yes
History:
River Trails Middle School was named through a “Name the School” contest, which was won by 6th grader Lane Johnson. He wrote: “Many schools are named for people, but after a time their greatness may fade or even be forgotten, but a school with a name taken from nature...will never fade or be forgotten for nature is everlasting.” The school was built towards the end of the baby boom, although it has since felt the fluctuations in populations. During the baby boom, many schools were built to house the rapidly growing population, but as the population aged in the 1970s and ‘80s, many of these schools were demolished or consolidated. For example, in 1981 the Feehanville School was closed and the 5th and 6th grade students were transferred to River Trails, along with the bell from Feehanville’s cupola, which is now displayed in front of River Trails. With rising student populations in the 1990s school districts have found themselves short of space and missing the schools that were closed. Additions have been put onto the River Trails School in 1968, 1971, and 1991. However, these additions were not enough to hold the increasing population of students. In the late 1990s the school was forced to buy trailers to use as classrooms, as the population of the school had surpassed the space.
Name: Robert Frost (North)
School District: 21
Grade levels: K-5
Built:
Is it still standing? Yes
If not, when was it demolished?
Is it still a school? Yes
History:
Robert Frost School has been one of the most progressive schools in the area in its work with the diverse community in Mount Prospect. In 1997 they began organizing picnics and games with local police departments; in order to make the children comfortable with police officers and make information available on the services offered by the aw enforcement agencies. In 1998 it underwent a major renovation, creating more multi use spaces and became the first school in District 21 to offer a bilingual program, serving students whose first language was Polish. In 2000 the school began hosting an annual Mexican Fiesta, to celebrate the diverse cultural history of the students and make the Latino families in the community feel more included and a part of the school system.
Name: Robert Frost (South)
School District: 59
Grade levels: k-5
Built:
Is it still standing? Yes
If not, when was it demolished?
Is it still a school? Yes
History:
We have very little information in our files on this school, anyone with materials related to the history of this school is invited to share them with the Historical Society.
Name: Saint Emily Catholic School
School District: Archdioceses of Chicago
Grade levels: K-8
Built: 1961
Is it still standing? Yes
If not, when was it demolished?
Is it still a school? Yes
History:
Saint Emily’s Catholic School was the second Catholic school in Mount Prospect. Saint Raymond’s school had been the first Catholic school and was heavily over enrolled for the first few years it operated. When Saint Emily’s opened it helped to spread out the Catholic student body and made the system more manageable. The school has since been well attended and provided a quality education for students in the area. In 1998 Kimberly Siprut, a second grade teacher at Saint Emily, received the National Catholic Education Association’s Miriam Farrell Distinguished Teacher Award, one of the highest awards that can be bestowed upon a Catholic School Teacher.
Name: Saint John Lutheran School
School District:
Grade levels: K-5
Built: First classes in church 1848
First building 1864
Second building 1901
Third building 1958 added to in 1973
Is it still standing? The second and third are
If not, when was it demolished?
Is it still a school? The third is.
History:
When the early German immigrants came to Elk Grove one of the first things they did was set up institutions that would preserve and pass on their old world cultural history. The first families, the Linemanns and the Busses arrived in 1848, in the same year they established Saint John Lutheran Church, which offered services in German and in a very orthodox tradition. Later that year, the first school was established. The first classes of Saint John were held inside the church and in 1864 the first school was built. For 47 years this was the only school in Mount Prospect, until the Central School was built in 1895. In 1901 the second school building was built, which was a four room brick building, still standing today. This building was added to in 1926 and served the school until 1958. From 1976 through 2000, this building was used by the Mount Prospect Historical Society, originally as the headquarters of the society and in the last years as storage. In 1958 a new building was constructed across the street, this building continues to be used today, although it was added to in 1973.
Name: Saint Paul Lutheran School
School District: NA
Grade levels: K-8
Built: Original building - 1913
Second building - 1928
Third Building - 1989
Is it still standing? The first and the third are.
If not, when was it demolished? First moved in the 1920s, second razed in 1989
Is it still a school? Yes
History:
The founding of Saint Paul Lutheran Church showed an important shift in Mount Prospect. The center of the community shifted from the south side of town, near Saint John Lutheran to the downtown area. Saint Paul offered services in English while Saint John continued to give services in German, and Saint Paul offered a more cosmopolitan view. Similar to Saint John, Saint Paul soon founded a school following the opening of the church. The Saint Paul Lutheran School’s first class of 9 students met in a cottage that stood at 31 S. Main Street. On May 18, 1913 the first school building was dedicated and stood on the corner of Busse and Elm Street. As the town grew, the church and school grew with it. In 1917, the first residential teacher was hired, Martin H. Hasz. He began as the only teacher and remained with the school as it grew for over 50 years, until he retired in 1968. In 1928 a second school was built, this beautiful building was designed by the well known Chicago architecture firm of Zook and McCaughey. The building was demolished in 1989 to make space for an addition to the current building. In keeping with the German tradition, a kindergarten was established in 1935. In 1956 the third school building was erected, which still stands today with significant additions.
Name: Saint Raymond’s Catholic School
School District: Archdiocese of Chicago
Grade levels: K-8
Built: 1954
Is it still standing? Yes
If not, when was it demolished?
Is it still a school? Yes
History:
Founded in 1949 Saint Raymond’s Catholic Church was the first Catholic Parish in Mount Prospect and grew very rapidly in the 1950s. The church started out meeting in the basement of the Central School, which was at that time housing Saint John’s Episcopal Church. In the early 1950s the church decided to found a Catholic school for the growing parish. As the only Catholic School in the community it quickly filled beyond capacity. In the first years of its operation, students had a split schedule, in which some students would come in the morning and leave in the early afternoon while others would come in the afternoon and leave in the evening. Thereby allowing the school to serve twice the student population it was built to house. In 1961 Saint Emily built a second Catholic school in the community and much of the burden was lessened. The school has continued to be a center for the Catholic community in Mount Prospect over the past 50 years.
Name: Sunset Park
School District: School District 57
Grade levels: K-6
Built: 1958
Is it still standing? No
If not, when was it demolished? Approx - 1985
Is it still a school? No, it is a baseball diamond
History:
Sunset Park School was built at the height of the baby boom, when Mount Prospect’s student population was growing rapidly every year. In this era, Sunset was a well liked and remains a fondly remembered school. In 1971, Susan Liston, a first grade teacher at Sunset, was named Outstanding Young Educator of the Year. However, by the end of the 1970s many of the Baby Boom children had out grown the school and the student population dramatically declined. In 1979 School District 57 put the building up for sale with an asking price of $900,000. However, the presence of asbestos and the lack of bidders caused the school to lower the price to $750,000. There were still no bidders for the site, until the Mount Prospect Park District approached them with and offer of $500,000 for the land without the building. After negotiations, the land was eventually sold for $600,000 in 1985.
Name: Westbrook
School District: Built by Dist. 57, later leased to Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization
Grade levels: K-5
Built: 1961
Is it still standing? Yes
If not, when was it demolished?
Is it still a school? Yes, although its use is under discussion.
History:
Built in 1961, Westbrook was District 57’s third elementary school. In the mid 1990s, Following demographic and educational shifts in the community, District 57 decided to close the school and relocate the students to the newly constructed Lions Park and Fairview schools. In 1995 District 57 entered into an agreement with the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization to lease the building for 10 years at a cost of $250,000 a year. The rent offset a $2 million renovation of the school and gave NSSEO space for a Behavior Education Center, the Orphanage Act Program, and a Technology Center. This move was met with strong opposition from neighbors of the schools, who worried about emotionally disturbed students in their neighborhood and were suspicious of the school’s security provisions. In 2003, District 57 began considering taking the school back to alleviate overcrowding in other schools. In the first two attempts, the referendum did not pass and the fate of Westbrook is still uncertain.