Structural Memorials

Name of Building or Business: Meyn Grocery Store

Address:  19 W. Busse

Built: Circa 1925

Demolished: 2006

What is currently at that address: Nothing

William Meyn’s grocery store stood in this small half timber structure. William was one of the sons of John Meyn, the first blacksmith in Mount Prospect and the brother of Herman Meyn, the second blacksmith and the second Mayor of Mount Prospect. At one point, the entire triangular block bordered by Northwest Highway, Main Street and Busse Avenue belonged to the Meyn family. While the Meyn family is not as well known as the Busse family, they were a major force in the development of early Mount Prospect. John Meyn was born in Schleswig-Holstein and immigrated to America in 1882 at the age of 19. He worked as an assistant blacksmith in Arlington Heights for a year before he was persuaded by John C. Moehling, Mount Prospect’s first postmaster and owner of the general store, to move to Mount Prospect and open his own shop. He was the first blacksmith in town and ran the business for many years. Having a blacksmith shop was an early step towards development. When most transportation required horses, you needed to have someone who could shoe the horses and repair wagons in town if you expected the town to grow. This is why John Moehling went out of his way to persuade John Meyn to move to Mount Prospect and how the family became very influential in town.

William Meyn was the second oldest son of John Meyn and while his older brother followed his father in becoming a blacksmith, William decided to start his own business. He built this two-story building near his father’s shop, which also happened to be along the most developed stretch of downtown Mount Prospect. The store sold canned foods, breads, fresh meat, and some tools. The business ran for many years and was an institution in the early Mount Prospect. The building has since housed a number of other small businesses, most recently a barber shop.

Name of Building or Business:  Grocery Store later His and Her Hobbies

Address: 15 W. Busse

Built: Circa 1935

Demolished:  2006

What is currently at that address:  Nothing

This building was originally constructed with a classic Art Deco façade of black and white glazed tiles. This probably was the most modern building in Mount Prospect when it was built. The property that this building sits on was originally the garden behind the Meyn family’s home and blacksmith shop. It is possible that a member of the Meyn family built this building as an extension or modernization of the William Meyn Associated Grocery store which stood next door. The building did originally serve as a grocery store and was tied into the Busse Block Business District.

The building later had its façade modified twice. The reason for the first modification is not known, although it was much less severe than the second modification. In the late 1950s the original art deco glazed tile façade was covered with irregular flat stones. While this covered the black and white tiles, the building still maintained a similar structural appearance. However, this style did not last long and the building’s façade was again changed in 1984. This new façade radically changed the architectural style of the building, placing half timber frame construction along the outside, adding an artificial sloped roof line and an off centered peaked façade. This new look for the building was designed by an architectural firm hired by the village of Mount Prospect and a portion of the construction costs of this renovation were paid by the village through the Façade Improvement Program, an aspect of the downtown plan of 1983. For many years, this building was home to His and Her Hobbies, an independent, locally-owned craft and hobby store.

Name of Building or Business: Central Standard School

School District: 57

Grade Levels: K-8

Built: 1927

Demolished: 1975

What is currently at that address: The Mount Prospect Public Library

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: four new classrooms plus the original one-room Central School building. There were a number of additions to the Central Standard School, the first of which was built in 1937. Over time, the additions to the school became larger than the original school. With the boom of students in the 1950s and then the drop in enrollment in the 1970s, many of the schools in Mount Prospect faced insufficient enrollment. In the 1970s and 80s Mount Prospect’s schools were faced with rapidly falling enrollment, and many schools were closed, sold, or demolished. The Central Standard School went from teaching K-8 students to becoming a Junior High, just teaching 7th and 8th graders. Central School closed in spring 1970. In 1975 the Central Standard School, with all of its additions, was razed. Today the Main Branch of the Mount Prospect Public Library stands in its place.