A startup orthodontic practice is coming soon to 400 Greenwood Avenue in Cheltenham Township. The former Wyncote Public School also happens to be a nationally registered historic building.

Owner Kelly McMonagle, DMD MSD, told Glenside Local she’s looking to launch sometime in November, though an exact timeline will depend on her second child’s due date.

“I’m in my third trimester, so it’s a race to see which due date comes first,” she said.

A Norristown native and Glenside resident since 2024, Dr. McMonagle said the historic preservation of the property has become something of a passion project.

“I’ve always wanted to own a private practice within my community. The building was only the second property that I saw, and I just fell in love with it,” she said. “I want my practice to honor the school’s history by bringing young souls back into the space.”

According to McMonagle, the 130-year-old building operated as a public school through the 1980s and was subsequently owned by private school entities. It was eventually renovated into law and accounting offices in the 1990s.

McMonagle said her preservation efforts have involved officials at the local, state, and federal level.

“Our first step was finding a Norristown-based architecture firm that specializes in historic preservation. I’m currently working with a historic preservation consultants, and then through those outfits, we’ve had to develop the plans according to preservation standards,” she said.

The plans first came before Cheltenham Township’s Board of Historical and Architectural Review earlier this year and were then submitted to the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office. From there, the application will be submitted to the National Park service for final approval.

“When we closed the deal on Christmas Eve, we learned that it hadn’t had heating in years. It’s a massive effort. Everything needs to be redone,” she said. “We want to take proper care of the building which is why we went the historic preservation route.”

McMonagle said efforts have involved restoring the original hardwood floors, raising the ceilings to their original height, and restoring all of the windows. The exterior will be retouched as well.

“The rest of the floor plan is a blank slate because there weren’t any original walls remaining. It’ll be a beautiful juxtaposition of a modern clinic in an old space,” she said. “I’ve been saying that I’m restoring a building before I’m restoring smiles.”

Glenside Local will share more details on the forthcoming practice, Wyncote Orthodontics, in the coming weeks. To follow McMonagle’s restorative journey, you can check out Wyncote Orthodontics’ Instagram page.

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Photos: Kelly McMonagle