Understand

Step back in time to the year 1935 when two visionary developers, Carlton Smith and Allen Dawson, turned farmland along Elmhurst Road into a thriving community. The first families moved in just a year later, and by the end of that year, a total of six affordable homes stood proudly in this picturesque rural area, soon to be known as Prospect Heights. Together with these pioneering families, the development firm worked tirelessly to cultivate a responsible community where their children could grow up with a sense of pride. In 1938, they established the Prospect Heights Improvement Association (PHIA), which acted as a de facto government for the unincorporated area. Over the next two decades, the community flourished, with nearly 600 homes getting established. Join us on a journey through the history of this remarkable community!