The Medical Arts Building was designed by Oak Park architect Roy J. Hotchkiss and was built by Harper & Stelzer at an approximate cost of $250,000.[1][2][9][10][11] Hotchkiss had previously worked as head draftsman for Eben Ezra Roberts.[12] The Medical Arts Building was Hotchkiss's principal contribution to Oak Park's architectural landscape.[12] Ground was broken on December 5, 1928, and the first tenants moved on November 15, 1929.[13][14] By January 1930, the building was almost fully occupied.[14] It was originally owned by Charles B. Scoville and was later owned by the Scoville Trust.[2][3][10][11][15] Original plans called for four story east and west wings, but these were never built.[11]
During World War II, the Oak Park unit of the Association of Army and Navy Wives was located in the Medical Arts Building.[16] In 1976, the building was sold to Dowling and Company.[17] It was later acquired by Jack and Tim Sheehan.[18] The building's terra cotta facade was restored in 2007.[18] Peterson's Pharmacy was a tenant from 1929, when the building opened, until 2014.[19]