The West Loop historic plaques project installs four more plaques in the West Loop with four more in the works.
Connie Fairbanks, historian and longtime resident of the West Loop, Alderman Conway 34th Ward, Dan Luna, Alderman Red Burnett 27th Ward, and Armando Chacon, President of The West Loop Chamber of Commerce formed a West Loop Historic Plaques Group in 2024 to preserve the history of the West Loop, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Chicago.
The West Loop Historic Plaques Group is a volunteer project, and historic plaques are paid for by building/company owners or condo boards. Chicago Landmark plaques are paid for by The City of Chicago.
The Near West Side was once the fashionable area of Chicago. It evolved to a manufacturing district and then was known as Skid Row. Today, the West Loop is bustling with families, children, Michelin star restaurants, and corporate headquarters.
Many of the landmarked buildings have had their designations for decades, while other early 1900s manufacturing buildings have been repurposed into retail, condos and office space. For these buildings, many owners and Condo associations want historic plaques on their structures to share prominently in writing for all to see the resilient and innovative history of the West Loop.
Recently installed Historic/Landmark Plaques:
- Schoenbrun building, 1908, Alfred S. Alschuler, 850 West Adams
- Hart Shaffner Marx/Haberdasher Lofts, 1926, Alfred S. Alschuler, 728 West Jackson
- Mary Thompson Hospital/The Thompson Apartments, 1929, 140 N. Ashland
- Wiebolt building/Paramount Lofts, 1925, Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White, 1645 W. Ogden
- West Side YMCA/Duncan Lofts, 1907, Robert C. Berlin, 1515 W. Monroe
Plaques scheduled for Summer 2026 installation:
- Addressograph/Formfit/UIC classroom, 1904, L. G. Hallberg, 400 S. Peoria
- Illinois Ear and Eye Infirmary/Mary Bartelme Park, 1874, Ed Burling, Adams and Peoria
- Union Park, 1853, William Le Baron Jenney and Jens Jensen, Ashland and Washington
- Davis/Rankin/Schwinn building – 1886 & 1894 addition designed by Stiles and Stone
For more information about the landmark and historic building plaques, visit: