“It’s been 50 years since Sears traded in its sprawling headquarters campus on Chicago’s West Side for a tower in the Loop. But the faded retail giant’s legacy still looms large in North Lawndale, where the community that Sears built has, bit by bit, reclaimed remnants of its industrial past and turned the story of abandonment into an opportunity for reinvention.
“Sears’ one-time catalog printing building — a block-long brick behemoth — has been converted into housing. The power plant that kept the campus humming is now a high school. And the ‘original Sears Tower,’ a 14-story office building, has been transformed into a hub for nonprofits and rechristened Nichols Tower.
“Next up on the restoration agenda: the historic Sears Sunken Garden.
“The green space dates back to 1907 and sits opposite the Sears Administration Building on West Arthington Street. It was conceived of as a place where workers employed on the 40-acre campus could take a break and enjoy some fresh air, surrounded by lush landscaping, fountains, a reflecting pool and a picturesque pergola. All without ever leaving the company’s grounds.
“‘Julius Rosenwald, who was the president of Sears, really had a forward way of thinking about what his employees needed and how to keep them happy and healthy,’ said Caroline O’Boyle, Illinois state director of the Trust for Public Land, which is serving as a community liaison for the garden’s revitalization.
“‘Almost 20 years ago, I took my wedding photos here, and it was vibrant and beautiful,’ said Reshorna Fitzpatrick, executive pastor of historical Stone Temple Baptist Church and a board member of Friends of Sears Sunken Garden. ‘As a kid, I lived in this community and this was a place to come to just enjoy beauty.’
“But gradually the garden fell into disrepair and today the 1.7-acre jewel is need of some TLC. For the past several years, a coalition of community members and landscape and architecture experts has been marshaling the resources needed to breathe new life into the garden.
“Thanks to a $1 million grant from the Driehaus Foundation, funding for Phase One is secure and will pay for refurbishment of the garden’s neoclassical pergola. Work is likely to begin by the end of the year and should be wrapped up by Memorial Day 2026.
“The concrete columns will be repaired, the oak beams will be replaced, and new lighting — technically a return to the original lighting scheme — will set off the enhancements.
“Fitzpatrick said the hope is that visible progress on the pergola will build fundraising momentum for Phase Two, which is essentially “everything else”: a water feature, ADA accessible paths, underground stormwater retention, all of the landscaping and an endowment to maintain the plants.
“‘Old buildings, old spaces have been parts of the communities for generations, and they mean a lot to people, they mean a lot to the neighbors, even when they don’t mean a lot to Chicago at large,’ she said. ‘To find that revival of connectedness is really great.’ (Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 10/22/25)
Read the full story at WTTW Chicago
- Restoration of Historic Sears Sunken Garden Underway in North Lawndale, With a Design From Lurie Garden Mastermind, Patty Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 10/22/25
- Restoring Chicago’s Historic Sears Sunken Garden, Fox32 Chicago, 10/21/25
- North Lawndale’s Sears Sunken Garden Breaks Ground On $5 Million Overhaul; The first phase of the historic landmark’s renovation will restore the pergola and is expected to be completed this spring, Michael Liptrot, Block Club Chicago, 10/17/25
- Ask Geoffrey: The Sears Sunken Garden, Quinn Myers, Masha Dolgoff, WTYTW Chicago, 2/4/21