Prospero’s Books is located in a historic building that was built in 1890 that is one of the oldest operating retail spaces in Kansas City, Missouri. For its first 20 years, the building housed a grocery store, then a hardware store for 90 years after that. That history can still be seen in some of the architectural details: the pressed-tin ceiling and exposed brick walls are ornamented with original art, and library ladders roll across the wooden floors. The shop is co-owned by Tom Wayne and Will Leathem, who opened their store…
