“Work to stabilize Pullman’s historic Market Hall is complete, and the nonprofit Friends of Pullman National Historical Park is making plans to get visitors back, as well as get community input on what the historic space should become.

“Friends of Pullman wrapped up its work on the hall last month, which is next to Hotel Florence. The group purchased the hall in the 1970s to save it from demolition. But significant work was needed to keep it from collapsing, with portions of the structure boarded up since the nonprofit’s purchase.

“‘We undertook this major stabilization project and are just thrilled with the result,’ Richard Wilson, vice president of Friends of Pullman, said. “The building’s in great shape for the coming decades now, in terms of protecting it from collapse [and] from losing it.’

“The Market Hall, 11159 S. Champlain Ave., has been a key space in Pullman over the years. The Queen Anne-style structure was originally built in 1881 as part of the planned industrial community’s original design in Pullman’s Market Square. At the time, the hall contained 16 stalls leased to private businesses, according to Friends of Pullman.

“A fire destroyed the structure in 1892. The Market Hall was rebuilt in 1893 using the existing foundation and featured 12 stores, plus a banquet hall and meeting room on the upper floors. Another fire would gut the building before Friends of Pullman purchased it. And though the upper floors were removed in the 1930s, the signature Romanesque arches remain today.

“The construction was far-reaching, he said. Brick walls were anchored to prevent collapse, historic masonry and limestone were restored, stairs were rebuilt, and the ground floor was enclosed to prevent leaking into the basement. Some of the building’s major features were also reworked, including a few of the main entrances that were fenced off and now made accessible.

“The stabilization work cost about $1.5 million, according to Friends of Pullman. Funding came from the Chicago Community Trust, a Historic Preservation Fund grant from the National Park Service and a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

“‘[Rebuilding] will take vision; it will take fundraising; it will take support,’ Wilson said. ‘It’s not an overnight thing, but Market Hall is worth the time and effort, and it’s something we want to continue to invest in.’

“Initial ideas include an event space with a coffee shop or historic art displays. The Market Hall could also play off Hotel Florence, which is undergoing a $100 million redevelopment that will transform the nearly 145-year-old property into a boutique hotel with new restaurants. The hotel’s annex will be rehabilitated, and a concert hall will be added in the old Pullman Factory across the street. The Market Hall could serve as a space for special events and programs for Hotel Florence, Wilson said.

“‘I think no one project is stand-alone,’ Wilson said. ‘What’s exciting is you start to see how they’re interrelating with each other. They’re creating an economy and a draw for one another, and they’re giving visitors interesting different kinds of experiences down there, beyond just kind of a historic place to visit. We want to be a bright star on the South Side, a catalyst. And this amazing project that the state announced is a big part of that. Saving our historic assets like Market Hall is a big part of that.’ (Miller, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/5/2)

“Charles E. Gregersen was a revered and award- winning architect and member emeritus of the American Institute of Architects (A.I.A.) who dedicated much of his life to the cause of historic preservation and the effort to protect and restore Pullman for decades until his passing in 2022. He would be thrilled that Market Hall has been stabilized and is moving towards a full restoration and reactivation.

“Gregersen worked alongside Richard Nickel—and later with John Vinci, David Norris, Tim Samuelson, et al.—in noble, but unsuccessful efforts, to prevent the demolition of the Garrick Theater Building, originally known as The Schiller Theater Office Building (1891) and the Chicago Stock Exchange Building (1893).

“In 1972, Gregersen with James Simek and Paul Petraitis authored The Commission on Chicago Landmarks report that led to the designation of the South Pullman Historic District as an official City of Chicago Landmark. This was Chicago’s second Landmark District or a group of historic structures to be designated. In the early 1990s, Charles Gregersen offered testimony, along with others, to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, for the consideration of North Pullman area as a designated Chicago Landmark District.

“Gregersen applied his talents as an architect to document and restore Pullman’s architecture. He created detailed architectural elevations of the surviving half of Tenement “Block E” before its demolition in 1972. He executed painstakingly accurate drawings of Pullman’s demolished Water Tower. Gregersen completed detailed elevations of the Pullman “Clock Tower” Administration Building for the Historical Architectural Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1973. After the devastating fire in 1998, Gregersen’s drawings were integral to the reconstruction and restoration of the Administration Building, which now houses the visitors center for The Pullman National Monument.

“Ultimately, Gregersen very much loved Pullman. He did everything he could to share his knowledge on Pullman, and to protect and preserve it because he had witnessed from an early age how quickly works of great historical and architectural significance could be lost. With the passing of Charles E. Gregersen, Pullman’s protection now falls to many of us in Chicago’s architecture and preservation community, along with the National Park Service and our other community and citywide partners.” (Charles E. Gregersen Obituary, Mark Cassello with Ward Miller, Pullman National Monument Preservation Society)

Read the full story at Chicago Sun-Times

• Pullman’s historic Market Hall gets a refresh, The nonprofit Friends of Pullman National Historical Park spent nearly seven months stabilizing the hall to prevent it from collapsing, while also restoring the space, Abby Miller, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/5/26
• Charles E. Gregersen Obituary, Mark Cassello with Ward Miller, Pullman National Monument Preservation Society, November 2022