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Rosenwald: Toward a More Perfect Union Film Trailer
“The extraordinary story of a forgotten philanthropist, a Jewish son of immigrants from Chicago who became a champion for black education with in the Jim Crow South.“The Campaign to Establish the Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park
The Campaign seeks to promote the establishment of a multi-site National...
Preservation Chicago Featured in Crain’s Chicago Business Giving Guide 2024 “From Impossible to Inevitable, Preservation Chicago Catalyzes Change”
Since 2003, the “Chicago 7 Most Endangered” has sounded the alarm on imminently threatened historic buildings and public assets in Chicago to mobilize the stakeholder support necessary to save them from demolition.Preservation Chicago works to leverage the power of historic preservation to create and foster healthy, vibrant, diverse and...
Wrightwood 659 presents “John Akomfrah: Four Nocturnes” Sept. 27, 2024 to Feb. 15, 2025
"Wrightwood 659 hosts two installations by distinguished artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah, whose work investigates memory, post-colonialism, temporality, and the experiences of migrant diasporas globally. Four Nocturnes is a three-screen video installation which explores the complex relationship between humanity’s destruction of the natural world and its self-destruction."Using Africa’s declining elephant...
Driehaus Museum presents “Photographing Frank Lloyd Wright” October 24, 2024 to January 5, 2025
Photographing Frank Lloyd Wright
October 24, 2024-January 5, 2025
Presented by Driehaus Museum and The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust"Frank Lloyd Wright had a lifelong fascination with photography, viewing it as a hobby as well as a way for his architecture to reach a broad public. Photographing Frank Lloyd Wright includes Wright’s...
DePaul Art Museum presents “Edgar Miller: Anti-Modern, 1917–1967” September 12, 2024 to February 23, 2025
"Plenty of people start life coloring outside the lines. But sooner or later, the pressures of convention reel them in. It takes an unwavering self-assurance — or blind madness — to stick to one’s vision. Edgar Miller was neither a renegade nor an iconoclast, but this multitalented creative refused to be sidetracked by...
MAS Context, Klaus, and 150 Media Stream present “Welcome to Tribuneville: An Imaginary Vision of an Old Chicago That Could Have Been” June 17, 2024 to December 30, 2024
“‘Welcome to Tribuneville: An Imaginary Vision of an Old Chicago That Could Have Been,’ a highly detailed drawing of a retro-futuristic cityscape consisting of 60 of the entries from the Tribune competition….currently on display on the crenellated digital screens of 150 Media Stream at 150 N. Riverside on weekdays...
Chicago History Museum presents “Bus Tour | The Story of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley with Dilla Thomas” Saturday, November 23, 2024
"Join Chicago urban historian Shermann 'Dilla' Thomas on an engaging bus tour of key Chicago sites important to Emmett Till’s life and that humanize the well-known story of his harrowing death."In 1955, news of the tragic, racially motivated abduction and murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American from...
City of Chicago Designates Legendary East Lake Shore Drive as Honorary Benjamin Marshall Way October 23, 2024
"The City of Chicago and the Benjamin Marshall Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, will commemorate architect Benjamin H. Marshall (1874-1944) in the historic naming of East Lake Shore Drive as Honorary Benjamin Marshall Way, to be presided over by Alderman Brian Hopkins on Wednesday, October 23rd starting at 5:30 pm,...
Warehouse Landmark Dedication Block Party Celebration Delights Visitors on October 5, 2024 (Chicago 7 2023)
The Warehouse Landmark Dedication Block Party honored the birthplace of house music and recognizes incredible advocacy effort lead by Preservation Chicago to recognize, amplify, and landmark this iconic music venue."A custom plaque will be unveiled at the West Loop landmark known as the birthplace of House music during a...
Chicago Tribune: Northerly Island’s potential as an urban oasis goes unrealized as grand plans come and go
"Millions of public dollars and lots of planning have been poured into Northerly Island, but the nature preserve was nearly desolate on a sunny Saturday afternoon in late August. Meanwhile, North Side beaches, Grant Park and the Museum Campus were buzzing with locals and tourists alike."Matthew Bregg, 33, discovered...
WBEZ: What’s That Building? 700 Block of Maxwell Street
"A Maxwell Street block lined with well-preserved facades from the late 19th and early 20th centuries has plenty of designs: Art Deco, terra cotta, initials and owners’ names embossed on the stone and a baroque doorway whose arch is held up by two carved cherubs."Halsted Street is at the...
Chicago Legacy Businesses: The Gaslight Club: There’s A Secret Speakeasy In The Middle Of O’Hare — And It’s The Last Of Its Kind
"The Gaslight Club in the O’Hare Hilton Hotel is a relic from Chicago’s past. The 1920s-themed restaurant and bar used to have locations across the city and the globe. Now, the O’Hare club is the only location left."Patrons no longer need a golden key to get into the restaurant,...
Chicago Magazine: The Enchanted Life of a Hotel; To know the history of the Morrison is to know the history of this city
"As long as I can remember, Chicago has been besotted by the size of its monuments. Biggest. Tallest. Busiest. This makes the Morrison Hotel — the tallest iteration of which, if it still stood, would have turned 100 next year — twice blessed. At one point, it was the tallest hotel in the...
CBS: Chicago Hauntings: Historical ghosts at the massive nightclub that once housed the Chicago Historical Society
"The old Chicago Historical Society building at 632 N. Dearborn St. in River North is a bracing edifice—with its granite cladding and architectural features that might suggest a fortress or an armory.“And as a plaque right on the exterior wall notes, the building started out as the Chicago Historical...
Chicago Reader: A sign of the times: Vintage signs hold community and artistic value. Amid changing neighborhoods, they’ve become increasingly endangered
"For decades, the Bridgeport Restaurant sat at the corner of 35th Street and Halsted, its bold red sign hugging the building, serving as an unofficial welcome to the neighborhood. Since the owners retired in 2022, the restaurant sat empty, but the sign persisted."Fitted with chrome accents and adorned with...
Chicago Tribune: As the Morton Salt complex was given a new life, a photographer captured the transformation
"She never intended to become a photographer but that is what Sandra Steinbrecher is and in her new book 'The Salt Shed: The Transformation of a Chicago Landmark,' she shows herself to be an extraordinary one."'There is not a day, not one day over the last three years that...
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Planted with love nearly 50 years ago, 54-foot blue spruce will be Chicago’s official Christmas tree
"Sarah Holden and her husband, Dave Shaddick, their daughters, Hazel and Pearl, as well as three cats and three lizards, are about to move a few blocks from their current home and into the historic Victorian — their dream home — after three years of renovations."The tree, a blue...
MAS CONTEXT: A History of Preservation in Chicago
"Preservation in Chicago has a complicated, multidimensional nature. Preservation is a field of practice, a function of government, and an activist movement. In Chicago, each of these components have come together to determine how the built environment expresses the city’s history, culture, and growth. That history is then used...
90-Day Demolition Delay: 161 E. Erie St, River North
Date Received: 07/30/2024
Ward: Ward: 42nd Ald. Brendan Reilly
Applicant: Atlas Industries, Inc. C/O Roanne Rebenson
Owner: Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation C/O Ann Steiner
Permit Description: Demolition of a four-story, brick and stone commercial building.
Status: Permit withdrawn on 09/27/2024
IN MEMORIAM: Honorary Street Sign Celebrates Mary Ann Smith, Former Alderperson and Chicago Landmark Commissioner
"Former Ald. Mary Ann Smith’s quiet Edgewater block was renamed in her honor Sunday, commemorating the city official after she passed away this summer."A new street sign on the corner of North Wayne Avenue and West Balmoral Avenue was unveiled during a ceremony Sunday morning, with the 5400 block...
IN MEMORIAM: David Garrard Lowe, Author and Defender of Historic Architecture
“Its pages well-thumbed and portions underlined in ink, the book 'Lost Chicago' sits on bookshelves across Chicago and continues to amaze and inspire.“It is a poetic photographic essay about our bygone public buildings and private residences. It is harshly critical of the city’s once cavalier attitude toward architecture, filled...
BUYER WANTED: Stillwell Home at 5017 S. Greenwood Ave Listed For Sale
"The Archdiocese of Chicago has put an early-1900s home up for sale on the Kenwood block where former President Barack Obama has a home."The archdiocese is asking $1.4 million for the nine-bedroom house, built in about 1905 on Greenwood Avenue. Set on about thee-quarters of an acre, the house,...
BUYER WANTED: Five Chicago Landmark Properties for Sale
"Whether an individual landmark or part of a local historic landmark district, the following properties for sale in Chicago are all legally protected from demolition. While not every homeowner is interested in taking on the stewardship of such buildings, there are preservation-minded people out there who want to protect...
BUYER WANTED: Mayor Harold Washington’s Childhood Home at 3936 S. King Drive Listed for Sale
"A Bronzeville greystone that was the home of Chicago Mayor Harold Washington for five years of his childhood is for sale for the first time in decades, in need of extensive interior rehab."The asking price is $715,000 for the seven-bedroom house built in about 1894 on what was then...
BUYER WANTED: Landmark King-Nash Home by George Maher at 3234 W. Washington Blvd. Listed For Sale
“Located in Chicago’s East Garfield Park, George W. Maher’s King-Nash House is an official city landmark for a number of reasons. Originally built in 1901, the limestone residence is a great blend of architectural styles: Prairie School, Sullivanesque, and Colonial Revival. Its second occupant from 1925 until his death...
BUYER WANTED: 7-Story Western Methodist Book Concern Building at 50 E. Superior Street Adjacent to Superior Street Rowhouses Listed for Sale
"Real estate firm Golub is seeking a buyer for a River North development site several years after a deal to sell it to a New York developer blew up amid a complex and ongoing legal drama."The Chicago developer has hired Jones Lang LaSalle to market the seven-story property at...
BUYER WANTED: Chicago Federation of Musicians at 175 W. Washington Street Listed for Sale
"The building, a contributing property to the NRHP West Loop–LaSalle Street Historic District, was originally constructed for the trade union Chicago Federation of Musicians in 1933. The architect was Nelson Max Dunning, best known for the American Furniture Mart and American Book Company, was an active member of the...
LOSS: Historic Greystone at 3442 W. Jackson Blvd Demolished After Fire
"Fire raced through a graystone on the city's West Side Thursday morning, gutting the building."The fire broke out in the back of the graystone at 3442 W. Jackson Blvd. in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. Firefighters were on the scene around 6:30 a.m. The back of the house and...
LOSS: Our Lady Of Fatima Church At 3051 North Christiana Avenue To Be Demolished
"A demolition permit has been issued to tear down Our Lady of Fatima Church at 3051 North Christiana Avenue in the Avondale neighborhood. The City of Chicago issued the permit Monday, October 28. So far, there are no signs of demo preparation at the church. Built in 1956, it...
LOSS: 1313 and 1317 West Wrightwood Avenue Demolished
"Demolition is underway on an 1870s-era multi-residence at 1317 West Wrightwood Avenue in Lincoln Park. A new permit issued by the City of Chicago back in January of this year allows for the construction of a four-story with basement, four-unit building on the site." (Schell, Chicago YIMBY, 10/29/24)The adjacent...
WIN: Bellinger Cottage at 2121 N. Hudson Street Beautifully Restored by Preservation-Oriented Buyers
During the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, 'Chicago patrolman Richard Bellinger worked valiantly to ensure his family’s cottage could endure the fire that was ravaging a vast stretch of the city.'"He succeeded, and the Bellinger cottage on Hudson Street became a legendary piece of Chicago history, one of few...
WIN: Cook County Land Bank Authority Celebrates 2,000th Renovated Home
"Local officials and leaders at the Cook County Land Bank Authority joined (owner) Tytus Henry Thursday to celebrate the completion of the single-family home at 8514 S. Peoria Ave."The four-bedroom, four-bath Victorian home is the 2,000th Cook County Land Bank Authority property to be redeveloped in the organization’s 10-year...
THREATENED: Demolition of Workers Cottage Energizes Preserve Advocacy Effort
" Vlodek helps run the Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative, a nonprofit that seeks to preserve the late 19th-century homes known for their gabled roofs and simple structure. The group’s hope is that a newly passed anti-gentrification ordinance, which increases the cost to demolish homes on the Northwest Side, will...
WIN: Mellon Grant Funds Removal of United Electrical Workers Union Hall Mural
"Efforts to preserve a renowned mural on the Near West Side have received a financial boost. The Chicago Public Art Group has been awarded more than $450,000 from the Mellon Foundation to preserve the two-story 'Solidarity' mural in the former UE Hall, 37 S. Ashland Ave…"The mural, painted in...
WIN: Residential Adaptive Reuse Proposed for Timber Loft Building at 811 W. Evergreen
"A zoning application has been submitted for a proposed residential conversion at 811 W. Evergreen. Located along W. Evergreen Ave just west of N. Halsted St, the project will adaptively reuse an existing vintage timber loft building. Honore Properties is the developer behind the proposal."With Kennedy Mann serving as...
WIN: Construction Begins on Adaptive Reuse of Historic Earle School for Affordable Housing (Chicago 7 2014)
"Developers are kick-starting work to convert the former Charles Warrington Earle School into affordable apartments after the Englewood property was one of 50 schools to close its doors more than a decade ago."Wisconsin-based Gorman & Co. anticipates the project — with 100% affordable units — will welcome its first...
POTENTIAL WIN: Clark Adams Building at 105 W. Adams Street Sold for Affordable Residential Adaptive Reuse
"A team of local investors has purchased a distressed Loop office tower that it plans to convert into apartments with the help of city taxpayers, reviving a vision from two affordable housing developers that was recently blown off course."Chicago-based Primera Group and a venture led by Bloomingdale investor Marc...
POTENTIAL WIN: Zoning Requested for Adaptive Reuse of Millinery Mart Building at 65 E. Wacker for Residential
"Mavrek Development is partnering with ACRES Commercial Realty Corp to redevelop the existing historic building at 65 E. Wacker Place. Located near the Chicago Riverwalk, the building stands along E. Wacker Pl between N. Wabash Ave and N. Michigan Ave."The development team’s vision for the project includes a comprehensive...
WIN: Zoning for Rector Building / Bell Federal at 79 W. Monroe Street Adaptive Reuse Approved
"The Zoning Board of Appeals has approved a variation for the residential conversion planned at 79 W. Monroe. Planned by R2 Companies and the Campari Group, the Rector Building is a 14-story Beaux Arts-style masonry office building constructed in 1905 with a large, seamless south addition completed in 1924....
POTENTIAL WIN: William LeBaron Jenney Designed Central YMCA Association Building at 19 S. LaSalle Street Considered for Residential Adaptive Reuse
"After picking up a distressed office building near Willis Tower off the discount rack, Chicago investor Igor Gabal has purchased a vintage LaSalle Street property out of foreclosure with a $50 million-plus plan to transform it into as many as 190 apartments. And he's already lining up his next...
WIN: Lincoln Trust Savings Bank Adaptive Reuse Affordable Housing Development Approved by City Council
"Two apartment buildings that will reshape a busy North Center intersection have been approved by City Council."The buildings will be at 3959 N. Lincoln Ave. and 3950 N. Damen Ave. at two sites owned by Fifth Third Bank on the southern end of the Damen/Lincoln/Irving Park intersection."The proposal for...
THREATENED: Loyola University Is One Step Closer to the Demolition of 1234 W. Loyola Avenue After Archie’s Cafe Forced to Close
"Archie’s Cafe is closing for good next week."The beloved Rogers Park cafe, known for hosting local musicians and community events, is being forced out after Loyola University bought the building at 1226-1234 W. Loyola Ave. — which houses Archie’s — late last year."Roberta Schmatz opened the cafe in 2018...
WIN: Grant Received to Adaptively Reuse Vacant Chicago Firehouse as National Museum of Mexican Art
"The National Museum of Mexican Art has received a $1 million grant to help its conversion of an old Chicago fire station into a youth arts center, the museum announced Tuesday."The money, from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, will be used to turn a decommissioned Little Village firehouse into...
WIN: $1.5M State Grant Awarded for Restoration of Pike House/Watchman’s Residence
"State Senator Willie Preston joined the Eugene S. Pike House Foundation, Beverly Area Arts Alliance and Commissioner Stanley Moore Saturday to announce significant state funding secured by Preston to save, renovate and reinvigorate the Pike House."'This investment not only honors the rich history of our community, but also ensures...
THREATENED: Despite Widespread Community Opposition, Alderman Approves DePaul’s Plans to Demolish Sheffield-Belden Group (Chicago 7 2024)
"Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) supports DePaul University’s plan to build a new basketball facility on its Lincoln Park campus, he announced Friday."DePaul’s plan calls for a $60 million athletic center on Sheffield Avenue that would include an athlete recovery lounge, meeting rooms and basketball courts. It would require the...
THREATENED: Immediate Repairs Necessary for Chicago Landmark Portage Theater (Chicago 7 2012)
"The historic Portage Theater is in need of immediate repairs and local leaders say the building is running out of time."Four months ago, the city filed a lawsuit against the owner of the theater for alleged building code violations. During a Thursday morning Cook County Circuit Court hearing, city...
POTENTIALLY THREATENED: Art Institute’s McKinlock Court Being Considered as Possible Location for New Contemporary Art Building
"The Art Institute announced a transformative $75 million gift Tuesday to construct a new gallery building and begin an ambitious reshaping of its sprawling campus in the heart of downtown Chicago’s lakefront."The lions will remain at their post in front of the historic 131-year-old main building along South Michigan...
THREATENED: Front Building at Western Felt Works Survives Massive Fire During Demolition (Chicago 7 2024)
"A fire tore through a historic textile factory in North Lawndale on Friday night, raising concerns of preservationists about the site’s planned demolition."The fire started in the Western Felt Works building at 4155 W. Ogden Ave., according to reports from the Chicago Fire Department, which was on scene around...
LOSS: Active Demolition of Woods Motor Vehicle Company at 1130 S. Wabash Avenue
“A late 19th century South Loop building that represents an important but relatively unsung chapter of Chicago’s architectural, automotive and technological history is set for demolition. Built in 1891, the five-story commercial loft structure at 1130 S. Wabash Ave. was the headquarters and showroom for the Woods Motor Vehicle...