newsletter

After a busy summer and fall here at the Historical Society, I am thrilled to announce that the Dietrich Friedrichs House is now open again for guided tours on Wednesdays. We have an amazing new group of volunteer tour guides who will show you around the 115-year-old house and share the story of the Friedrichs family who built it and lived there for 60 years. Tours are by appointment only and can be made over the phone or on our website.
Central School is also open on the second Sunday of each month for our “Second Sunday at the Society” program. Stop by to see the schoolhouse, and stay to make a seasonal craft!

As the world opened up a little more, we were able to attend events around the community. You may have joined us on our bus tour of Chicago’s Pullman Neighborhood and the Robie House, seen us at the Lions Club Farmers Market, or filled out a survey for our Pandemic Moments Project while at the Mt. Prospect Park District concerts at Lions Memorial Park, the Downtown Block Party, or at Randhurst Street Fest. If you haven’t yet, you can still submit your photos and stories to the Pandemic Moments Project on our website.

Since the last newsletter, the Historical Society has received many wonderful artifact donations. Our artifact collection now contains an almost complete collection of Prospect High School yearbooks, pieces from Prospect Place Shopping Center (including items from Sam’s Place), Mount Prospect Baseball Association memorabilia (see below), and several hats that belonged to Historical Society cofounder Gertrude Francek, just to name a few of the amazing contributions.

Everything that the Historical Society has accomplished, especially during these tough times, has been made possible by the generosity of members and donors like you. Your financial donations allow us to continue preserving Mount Prospect’s history through our artifact collection and educational programs, as well as allow us to share that history with the community. Thank you for all you do to help us fulfill our mission! 

by Jean Murphy (fall 2021)

Happy 50th anniversary to Hearth & Home at 530 W. Northwest Highway in Mount Prospect and the O’Donnell family! H&H has a long and interesting history in this community.

Its founder Bob O’Donnell went into partnership to start the business with Dave Waldman in 1971 and they opened the doors in September that year. The O’Donnell family lived in Prospect Heights at the time.

“Both my father and his partner, Dave, were salesmen for Northern Illinois Gas Co.,” Pat O’Donnell, current president, explained. “They sold gas appliances, gas lights, gas grills, gas heaters, etc. for the sales department of the gas company. My father had worked there for almost 15 years when Northern Illinois Gas decided to eliminate their sales division. At that point both my father and Dave decided there would be a gas appliances market to address in the area and since they both had young families to support, they decided to go out on a limb and go into business together.”

The partners ran “OWL Appliance and Heating” (which stood for O’Donnell —- Waldman — and they went out on a Limb) until 1977 when Waldman died. They sold, installed and serviced gas fireplaces, gas logs, gas space heaters and gas ovens and cooktops. Wood-burning fireplaces were added soon afterward.

OWL was located at 15 W. Busse Avenue in the small triangle (across from Busse-Biermann Hardware) until 1980 when the Village began talking about redevelopment of that triangle.

After Dave died, Bob’s wife, Marilyn, stepped in to help with the books. Soon afterward, in December 1978, Bob’s son, Pat, graduated from St. Norbert College (DePere, WI) and while looking for a post-graduation job, he began working for his dad to earn some money.

“A neighbor of ours was an outdoor furniture sales representative and we were talking about my future and he talked about his industry. The idea of a career in a family business sounded intriguing to me. I then talked to my parents about adding outdoor furniture to our product mix and expanding and moving the business.”

So, in 1979, Pat formally joined the family business and the next year they moved to a larger space at 430 W. Northwest Highway, added patio furniture to their product line and changed the name to Hearth & Home Shoppe. Eight years later, in 1988, the O’Donnells bought the current building at 530 W. Northwest Highway, renovated it and moved there that April. Pat’s sister, Mary, also joined the business that year. In 2011, after five years in the banking industry, Ryan O’Donnell, the third generation, joined the business.

“Our future is in good hands,” Pat said.

Today they boast a staff of 15, including five family members – Pat and his sister, Mary Schappert (who are co-owners), Pat’s wife Anne, their son Ryan, and brother-in-law Ed Schappert.

Congratulations, Hearth & Home!

These two bricks and the roof finial were recovered from the small Tudor-style building at 2 W. Northwest Highway on the day it was demolished in March 2021. Almost 100 years ago, in 1927, this building first opened as the Moehling Service Station. John C. Moehling, also owner of Mount Prospect’s first store, built this service station in order to serve the growing number of cars in the area. By the early 1930s John C.’s son, John P., began managing the station. The bricks and finial are now part of the Historical Society’s collection.

The service station remained in operation for many years under different owners. In 1981 George and Dee Zoumaras diverged from that trend and opened Submarine Express, a sandwich shop, in this same building. By 1990 the timber-frame façade features, including this roof finial, were added to the structure. The exterior transformation helped this historic building better match the style of its neighboring historic buildings in downtown Mount Prospect. George and Dee’s son, Tom, later managed the restaurant. Over its almost 40 years in business, Sub Express became a local favorite and one of the Historical Society’s most enthusiastic supporters.