“The Chicago City Council landmarked the home of blues great Muddy Waters today, capping a months-long effort by preservationists and the musician’s family to gain official recognition of the historic house in North Kenwood.
“Mississippi-born as McKinley Morganfield, who took the stage name Muddy Waters, he bought the red-brick two-flat on South Lake Park Avenue in 1954 and lived there until the late 1970s, when he moved with his children to Westmont. It remains in the family’s hands 67 years after he bought it and is being turned into the Mojo Museum by Waters’ great-granddaughter, Chandra Cooper.
“While living on Lake Park Avenue, he had his biggest musical successes, including three singles that reached highest on the R&B charts: ‘I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man,’ ‘Mannish Boy’ and “’Just Make Love to Me.’ Waters influenced many blues musicians, as well as rock ‘n’ rollers, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and ZZ Top among them.
“The basement of the Lake Park Avenue building was rehearsal space, according to historical write-ups. Landmarking the house amounts to the city officially honoring ‘who this man was and what he did while he was living in that house,’ Cooper has said. Having official recognition from the city will also help her fundraising for the museum.
“The two-flat, built in the mid-1880s, was owned by the musician’s estate after he died in 1983. Cooper has owned the house since 2000, according to the Cook County recorder of deeds.” (Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business, 10/14/21)
We’re thrilled that the long-endangered Muddy Waters home finally has the protection and recognition that it deserves. Bravo to Chandra Cooper for her dedication in face of adversity and her fierce love for this important element of Chicago’s cultural heritage. Chicago collectively owes you a debt of gratitude for your efforts. We will continue to support this effort until the MOJO Museum celebrates its grand opening.
Preservation Chicago has worked very closely with neighborhood preservation partners and has played a strong role in supporting the effort to protect and landmark the Muddy Waters home. Additionally, our petition with nearly 33 thousand signatures and other efforts played a decisive role in blocking the proposed House Museum Ban ordinance that would have been devastating for emerging house museums like the Muddy Waters home, and scores of arts and cultural centers across Chicago. We continue to advocate for a Chicago Jazz, Blues, and Gospel Thematic Landmark District that would recognize and protect the places and spaces where Chicago musicians made history.