CITIZENS ADVOCATING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF CHICAGO’S ARCHITECTURE �

ISSUE No 3 SPRING - SUMMER 2007

Chicago’s 7 most endangered buildings update

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THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF PRESERVATION CHICAGO

ONE MAGNIFICENT MOCKERY

THE FARWELL BUILDING660-664 N. Michigan AvenueArchitect - Phil ip B. Maher, 1927

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTSPRING, 2007

A New City Council – A New Preservation Agenda

By all accounts, the February �7th and subsequent April �7th aldermanic run-off elections were a stunning rebuke to the old Chicago “Machine.” Several longtime aldermen were knocked off in the first round: Legendary 4�nd Ward alderman Burt Natarus was replaced by 34-year-old Brendan Reilly; sixteen-year incumbent Arenda Troutman (�0th) was beaten by former police officer and community activist Willy Cochran; and Sandi Jackson, wife of Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., trounced Darcel Beavers. Ms. Beavers was installed late last year to warm the seat of her father, 7th Ward powerbroker William Beavers, who moved over to the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

The run-offs knocked off 5 more long-serving incumbents. Voters sent pink slips to �nd Ward alderman Madeline Haithcock, Dorothy Tillman (3rd), Shirley Coleman (�6th) and Michael Chandler (�4th). They will be replaced by Bob Fioretti, Pat Dowell, Joann Thompson, and Sharon Denise Dixon respectively. However, one of the biggest upsets was in the 3�nd Ward, where newcomer Scott Waguespack ended the 70-year reign of the Ted Matlak-Terry Gabinski-Dan Rostenkowski political oligarchy.

A very different city council will now be doing the people’s business. And it is hoped that part of that business will include an emphasis on historic preservation.

While all politics is local, and each race was determined mostly by bread and butter issues, there is no doubt that over-development and neighborhood preservation was the deciding factor in many of these races. Several of the winning candidates made openness and transparency part of their campaigns. Others promised more community oversight and participation with regards to development issues in their ward. All of this bodes well for historic preservation in the next 4 years.

However, not surprisingly, every stakeholder in this election has already drawn up their own political wish list and will all be aggressively jockeying for their pet projects to be placed at the top of the agenda.

And Preservation Chicago will certainly be right there advocating for its own agenda. The priorities we would like to see addressed include more staff and resources for the Landmarks Commission, better monitoring and protection for Orange- and Red-rated buildings, more developer incentives to preserve historic structures, and uniform signage in our landmark districts. But most importantly, we would like to see an active preservation caucus form within city council that will aggressively advocate for our city’s historical and architectural legacy.

Jonathan FinePresident, Preservation Chicago

PRESERVATION CHICAGO1016 North Oakley BoulevardChicago, IL 60622

Board of DirectorsJonathan Fine PresidentMichael Moran Vice PresidentMarcia Matavulj TreasurerKim Mickelson SecretaryBill Neuendorf Exec. Comm.Craig Norris Exec. Comm.Sharon Russell Exec. Comm.Kimberlee Smith Exec. Comm.Laura Stigler-Marier Exec. Comm.Jeremi Bryant BoardBob Clarke BoardMeghan Eagen BoardSandy Gartler BoardEugene Kaminski BoardVana Kikos BoardNina Newhouser BoardScott Rappe BoardAndy Schcolnik BoardJack Spicer BoardBrooke Williams Board

Contact us:www.preservationchicago.orgph: 773.489.0300fax: 773.489.0874email: info@preservationchicago.org

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Jonathan FineSENIOR EDITOR: Laura Stigler-MarierGRAPHIC DESIGNER: Sandy GartlerCOMMUNICATIONS MGR.: Stacey Pfingsten

PHOTO CREDITS:Cover: Stacey PfingstenPage 3: Michael MoranPage 4: Peter DeCampPage 5: William StephensPage 6: David Audino, private collectionPage 7: David Audino, private collectionPage 8: David Audino, private collectionPage 9: Michael Moran & Chicago Housing Auth.Page �0: Danielle Scruggs/DRFP, Sandy Gartler and William NeuendorfPage ��: Danielle Scruggs/DRFPPage ��: Jonathan Fine

© �007 PRESERVATION CHICAGOAll rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is strictly prohibited. Preservation Chicago is a not-for-profit organization registered as a 50�c3.

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Excerpts from Jonathan Fine’s plaque dedication statementSunday, April 15, 2007

… because so many Chicago buildings that tell the story of the Great Migration and the African-American experience have been demolished, I just assumed that this church was gone too.

… The Robert’s Temple Church of God in Christ will now be able to take its rightful place in the story of the Civil Rights Movement. Other landmarks, including the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Little Rock’s Central High School, The 16th Street Baptist Church, and the very bus that Mrs. Parks was riding on that day have all been recognized as important icons of the era…

The events that took place in this building as a consequence of the courage of Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, are no less worthy. Hopefully, the story of Emmett Till will continue to be told. We as a society have an obligation and a duty to ensure that buildings like The Robert’s Temple, and the history that it holds, are not destroyed. If we want to preserve history, we have to preserve the places where that history was made. We must be able to stand where those who made history stood. Because if you can stand on the spot where history was made, you can say that it happened... AND IT HAPPENED RIGHT HERE.

HONORING THE LANDMARKING OF THE ROBERT’S TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST

COMING FULL CIRCLE IN A STORY THAT CHANGED THE COUNTRYIn the Summer ‘06 issue of The Voice, our feature article told of how the tragic murder of young Emmett Till and his mother’s courage galvanized the Civil Rights Movement…and how the site of Emmett’s funeral, Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, was granted Chicago landmark status in March, �006 – ensuring that that watershed event would never be forgotten. (See http://www.preservationchicago.org/news/newsletter.html)

HONORING HISTORY… AND THE DESIGNATIONOne year later, the landmark designation itself was given its full due: a dedication took place on April �3th, �007 with the unveiling of a plaque mounted on the Church’s State Street façade. A worship ceremony was then held on Sunday, April �5th, in the Church’s main sanctuary. Both events drew a large crowd of proud Church members, along with members of Emmett Till’s extended family, the Church’s leaders, Commission on Chicago Landmarks officials, members of Preservation Chicago, and special guests from far and wide.

At the Sunday celebration, several distinguished speakers offered thanks for the landmark designation, one of whom was Preservation Chicago president Jonathan Fine (see sidebar). But the ceremony’s zenith came when Emmett Till’s cousin, Simeon Wright, stepped up to the podium. Mr. Wright was sleeping in the same room as Emmett on the night of the abduction and murder. Standing on “hallowed ground,” as one eloquent speaker had put it, Mr. Wright recounted fond stories of Emmett, bringing this bright-eyed young man to life for the congregation. BETTER TO ACT, THAN REACT.The lessons for landmarking sites such as Robert’s Temple Church of God in Christ are clear: That early, well-thought-out action is more effective than last-minute scrambling in response to a demolition threat. And that by pro-actively identifying unrecognized historic sites such as Robert’s Temple, we ensure that they are not demolished, but rather, allowed to stand so as to educate, enrich, and enhance a City, its people and future generations.

In the case of Robert’s Temple, that enrichment can have national and international impact. That was the goal of Preservation Chicago in initiating the campaign to landmark Robert’s Temple Church of God in Christ. We are grateful to Rev. Cleven

Wardlow, Jr., pastor of Robert’s Temple and City of Chicago officials who so actively participated in making this landmark designation a reality.

– Michael Moran and Laura Stigler-Marier

Plaque Dedication (l to r): Commissioner Christopher Reed, Commission on Chicago Landmarks, Deputy Landmarks Commissioner Brian Goeken, Alderman Dorothy Tillman (3rd), Reverend Clevan Wardlow, Pastor of Robert’s Temple, Simeon Wright, Emmett Till’s cousin

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• A 35’ x 75’ swimming pool, once touted as one of the most luxurious in the country. • Handball courts and squash courts, the latter having hosted national tournaments.

ROUND TWO: A HISTORY OF OLYMPIAN PROPORTIONSSome of the historical highlights that took place within the building’s walls:

• Olympic trials for the �9�8 Olympics for the water polo event were held at the club. Johnny Weissmuller (“Tarzan” in the movies) participated in these trials and swam in a number of other swimming matches held at the club. Other club members who were Olympians include Walter Laufer (silver medal in backstroke, �9�8); Jean Wilson (medal winner in �00 meter freestyle and the 400 meter relay, �948); Ronald Gora, a former member of “Aqua Kids” (�00 meter freestyle race, �95�); Mary Lee Stephan (medal winner in �00 and 400 meter freestyle, �95�); and Jean Stunyo (three meter springboard diving, �956)

• The “Aqua Kids” program at the club was for many years one of the most popular programs for kids in Chicago. (And of which Olympian Ronald Gora was a former member.)

• Near the end of his illustrious career in �967, Jack Dempsey refereed two rounds of a boxing match at the club.

• Throughout the years, club teams carried off National and Central AAU swimming championships. World swimming records were also set at the club.

• During World War II, the Club opened its athletic facilities to members of the military.

DOWN FOR THE COUNT?SAVING THE LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC CLUB

O nly in Chicago. We’re ecstatic at winning the U.S. bid for the �0�6 Olympics. We dream of spending millions to build lasting legacies to the Games. And then, right before our eyes, allow the complete and total destruction of not just a stellar example of our storied architectural might ...but one that already is an Olympic legacy. Ironic, but true: The elegant and inimitable Lake Shore Athletic Club – a structure that has stood prominently at the gateway of our shoreline for over 80 years – is about to take a dive.

Currently owned by Northwestern University, the property is under contract to be sold to Fifield Realty, contingent upon the ability to erect a new building. On April �5th, Fifield applied for a demolition permit. But rest assured, the newly-founded Lake Shore Preservation Group, the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents (SOAR), Landmarks Illinois, the citizens of greater Chicago and Preservation Chicago are not standing idly by. The Lake Shore Athletic Club will not go down without a fight.

ROUND ONE: THE ARCHITECTURE– A STUNNER, FROM THE INSIDE OUTDesigned in �9�4 by Jarvis Hunt (�864-�94�), the Lake Shore Athletic Club is a Georgian jewel, providing visual variety set within the necklace of glass and steel high rises along Lake Shore Drive. The first five stories are faced with eye-catching, ornamented terra cotta – a striking contrast to the neighboring Mies Van Der Rohe buildings. Hunt’s other works in Chicago include the Saddle & Cycle Club (900 W. Foster Avenue) and 30 North Michigan Avenue, an intricate cornerstone of the “cliff” running along Grant Park. Wrapping around Lake Shore Drive and Chestnut, the Lake Shore Athletic Club remains largely unchanged, looking much as it did when it first opened in �9�7.

A TREASURE TROVE OF DETAILSFew are the buildings constructed today that can boast these features:

• Public areas influenced by the Adam period, including a two-story high foyer, a carved marble fireplace and wood-paneled main lounge facing Lake Michigan; a three-story high Great Hall; and three public and over a dozen private dining rooms with marble, terrazzo, and wood paneling. • Card and conference rooms, a library and 444 bedrooms and suites, each with its own bath.

Lake Shore Athletic Club - 850 N. Lake Shore DriveArchitect - Jarvis Hunt, 1927

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• The club was also the site of many business and professional meetings through the years, and throughout the �9�0’s and �930’s, it was the venue of choice for many debutante galas, dances and engagement parties. The club also had a radio station, a �75 member men’s glee club and a Red Cross chapter.

In the �970’s, the building was acquired by Northwestern University and used for student housing until �005. Since then, it has remained vacant.

ROUND THREE: THREATENING A KNOCK-OUTThe Lake Shore Club is not a landmark. Despite community and preservationist outcries to grant it landmark status, Alderman Natarus (4�nd Ward) took no action, leaving the building vulnerable to demolition. In the February city election, Natarus was defeated by Alderman-elect Brendan Reilly, who has taken office on May ��st. It was during this in-between period of “aldermanic limbo” that Fifield applied for the demolition permit. However, the building is rated “Orange” – the second highest listing on the Chicago Historical Resources Survey, subjecting it to a 90-day demolition hold while the city reviews the proposed project.

1…2…3…4…THE COMMUNITY RISES UP What this area does not need is yet another hulking, undistinguished high-rise – the kind that seems to be taking over the once unmistakably Chicago skyline. Which would be the outcome if Fifield gets its way with the demolition. Hardly the desire of the community, let alone preservationists and citizens, city-wide. In reaction, they’re rising up. Resident Pam Jameson founded the Lake Shore Preservation Group (LSPG) and has been working with neighbors to make their sentiments known to city officials. In conjunction with LSPG, Preservation Chicago is formulating plans for an all-out petition drive and protest rally.

THE COUNT CONTINUESIt’s a no-brainer. This centerpiece of Lake Shore Drive – a structure with such architectural and historical significance – should not be allowed to fall. We invite everyone to jump in the ring and help us save it. The gloves are off. And we’re going for the gold. To help, please contact:info@preservationchicago.org – Laura Stigler-Marier

Grand Staircase

Main Lobby Swimming Pool

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The architectural components of its east and south façades will be preserved off-site, restored, and then reapplied to the base of a new 40-story condominium tower, four stories of which will house a parking garage. The architect is Lucien LaGrange.

Although an earlier version of this project was rejected by the same commission in January and sent back to the drawing board for minor tweaks, the end result will be the same: The Farwell will no longer function as a building. Its skin will simply be grafted on to a section of a larger structure, setting a dangerous precedent for North Michigan Avenue as well as for other designated city Landmarks.

WE ALWAYS HAD PARISIn �909, legendary urban planner Daniel H. Burnham envisioned Michigan Avenue as the Champs-Elysées of the Midwest. That vision became a reality after �9�0, when the Michigan Avenue Bridge was opened to traffic. The Roaring Twenties saw a rapid transformation of the block from a sleepy residential street to Chicago’s signature high-end shopping district. Landmarks like the Wrigley Building, Medinah Athletic Club, and the gothic-inspired Tribune Tower dominated the south end of the block while the Drake Hotel and Art Deco Palmolive Building anchored the north end.

In between were numerous smaller-scaled buildings, many designed by architect Philip B. Maher, whose best buildings were the Women’s Athletic Club (built in �9�8 at 6�6 N. Michigan Avenue) and the ��-story Farwell Building, located one block to the north.

The Farwell Building represents one of the few remaining structures left on Michigan Avenue from the �9�0’s, the period that transformed Pine Street into “The Magnificent Mile.” Its delicate scale elegantly anchors the prominent northwest corner of Erie Street and Michigan Avenue. (Not of little significance is the fact that for the last 30 years, the Farwell Building was home to Hanig’s Footwear, the last street-level business remaining on North Michigan Avenue that was born and bred in Chicago. With the new plans, Hanig’s will be ousted.)

Originally built as a speculative office tower, it was purchased in �987 by the Terra Foundation to house its art museum. The Farwell Building was granted city landmark status in �004 with the owner’s consent, but the museum closed its doors later that same year. At that time, the fate of the Terra Museum remained in doubt. However, it was assumed that the Landmark designation would at least guarantee that the building that once housed its famous art collection would remain for generations to come. But now, even that guarantee seems to be meaningless.

ONE MAGNIFICENT MOCKERY: SELLING THE SOUL OF MICHIGAN AVENUE

The latest insult to befall North Michigan Avenue was officially validated at a special hearing of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks on March 8, �007. After an expedited presentation by Prism Development, little discussion by the commissioners, and brief statements from the general public, eight of nine members of the Commission voted to allow the Farwell Building, a designated city Landmark, to be skinned of its limestone and demolished.

The Farwell BuildingArchitect - Philip Maher - 1927

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THE CHANGING FACE OF NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE Starting in the late �940’s, numerous plans were drawn up to revitalize North Michigan Avenue. One such plan even included the demolition of the Water Tower. Luckily, that plan was never implemented. In �967, construction began on the John Hancock Building. Set back from the street and rising to a staggering �00-stories, the building became the second tallest building in the world at the time, and completely changed the scale of Michigan Avenue. Its sunken open-air plaza was a radical departure from the other buildings on the street, all of which uniformly abutted the public sidewalk, and redefined the concept of a public urban gathering space. After almost 40 years, it still remains a popular destination. Although controversial at first, the city soon embraced the Hancock Building as a modern architectural masterpiece.

Situated one block south of the Hancock, Water Tower Place opened in �976 and incorporated an enclosed shopping mall and theater complex, surmounted by a condominium, hotel, and office tower. Unlike the Hancock plaza, however, Water Tower Place presented a more foreboding appearance. Because the vast majority of its retail space was above the ground floor, the street level façade lacked any significant ground floor presence. This, coupled with its virtually windowless façade, inadvertently weakened the pedestrian experience along North Michigan Avenue. Its covered arcade, however, has since become an impromptu stage for street performers, enlivening the sidewalk by giving a reason for passers by to stop and congregate.

THE DECLINE AND FALL OF A ONCE-MAGNIFICENT BOULEVARD The beginning of the architectural decline of the boulevard can be traced to �978 with the completion of the hulking Marriott Hotel located at 540 N. Michigan Ave. The demolition of the Diana Court Building, designed in �930 by famed architects Holabird and Root, is still mourned by those who can remember its lobby, which was influenced by Art Deco ocean liners and contained Carl Milles’ statue of Diana, goddess of the hunt. Its unfortunate replacement was one of the most criticized buildings in Chicago up until that time. Ironically, it was designed by the firm of Harry Weese, a fine modernist architect and one of the founding fathers of the Chicago preservation movement. Sadly, a vulgar �999 remodeling made the building even uglier, and set off a new round of criticism.

Another significant loss was the demolition of the old 900 N. Michigan Avenue in �985 to make way for the Bloomingdale’s Building. The original 900 N. Michigan was an elegantly-scaled cooperative apartment building and once housed

the famous Jacques Restaurant. It was designed by Jarvis Hunt in �9�7. Its replacement has been described as a “postmodern homage to the Viennese Secessionist architecture of Otto Wagner.” However, regardless of one’s opinion of the architecture, there is no doubt that the monumentality of buildings such as the Marriott and Bloomingdale’s have forever altered the scale of Michigan Avenue.

The battle for North Michigan Avenue continued throughout the �990’s with two very prominent historic preservation debates. The first began in �995 when the John Buck Company proposed to demolish the entire 600 block and replace it with an enclosed shopping mall. Preservationists mobilized to try to save the block, including the old Arts Club, which was remodeled in the early �950’s by Mies van der Rohe and contained his signature switchback stair. Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin popularized the term “background building” to describe the pleasantly detailed but otherwise unobtrusive structures doomed by the redevelopment. Ultimately, the preservationists lost, although the Mies staircase was relocated to a new Arts Club on East Ontario Street. Sadly, the development that ultimately replaced the 600 block has been deemed a “�5 year” building, meaning that it, too, will be demolished once it no longer serves an economic purpose.

Women’s Athletic Club Building at Michigan & OntarioArchitect - Philip Maher - 1928

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The second confrontation erupted in the 500 block in �999 and involved the McGraw-Hill building, an Art Deco gem designed by the architecture firm of Thielbar and Fugard, and accented with incised limestone panels by artist Gwen Lux. The John Buck Company again proposed to demolish an historic building, but presented a radical “preservation” idea. The plan was to strip the entire building of its limestone panels, store them during the construction of a new building that would house a shopping mall and gateway entrance to a Nordstrom’s department store, and then reinstall the panels on the exterior of the new structure. The goal was to “return” the McGraw-Hill Building to Michigan Avenue as if it had never been gone, but preservationists cried foul. Although some expressed skepticism that a building of that size could actually be dismantled and seamlessly put back together again, the preservationists’ main objection was the precedent that it would set for other historic buildings.

THE AGE OF FACADISM BEGINSLocated at 8�4 Michigan Avenue directly across from the historic Water Tower sits the former studio of the architecture firm of Perkins, Fellows, and Hamilton. Dwight Perkins was one of the most influential of the Prairie School of architects and the studio he shared with his partners was Landmarked in �993. However, when the Park Hyatt Hotel, just to the south, was redeveloped a few years later, the developers and their architect, Lucien LaGrange, decided they wanted a little bit more room than their current footprint allowed. A little noticed and often overlooked decision by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks with regards to this project ushered in the age of “Façadism” in Chicago. The Commission allowed the entire studio building behind the façade, including Perkins’

drafting room, to be demolished. Although the façade was restored, all of the space behind it now is attached to the hotel. Perkins’ studio, now completely subsumed by The Park Hyatt, has a pasted-on appearance and reads more as an architectural mutation of the larger structure, rather than a separate individual building. The danger of “Façadism is that it allows the whole of an historic building to be reduced to considerably less than the mere sum of its parts, robbing that building of its function, but more importantly, robbing it of its soul.

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAINThe fate that befell the McGraw-Hill Building and Perkins studio will soon be visited upon the Farwell Building. Landmarking has always been the preferred choice for ensuring the preservation of historic buildings, but these latest developments are now making a mockery of the entire Landmarking process and calling into question the Ordinance itself. As the economic pressure to redevelop North Michigan Avenue intensifies, especially if Chicago is granted the right to host the �0�6 Olympics, preservationists are asking themselves which building is next up for evisceration. And if, under the feeblest of excuses, designated Landmarks can routinely be evaporated and then reconstituted to disguise parking garages, power plants, or hotel ballrooms, what value does a Landmark designation have at all?

The battle for the soul of North Michigan Avenue began decades ago. But it will not abate any time soon if these egregious and needless redevelopment schemes continue to be allowed to proliferate.

– Jonathan Fine

The former600 N. Michigan Building

Architect - Philip Maher

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JULIA C. LATHROP HOMESAddress: Clybourn Avenue & Diversey Parkway east of the Chicago River Date: Completed in 1938.Architects: Robert S. De Golyer, Hugh M.G. Garden, Jens Jensen (landscaping), Thomas Tallmadge, Vernon Watson, E.E. Roberts, Charles White and Hubert Burnham

OVERVIEW: Created by a “Dream Team” of building and landscape architects during the Great Depression, the Julia C. Lathrop Homes was a model of what today’s public housing should be. Comprised of brick, low-rise, simply-ornamented buildings, curving walkways and ample green space, the Lathrop Homes enabled generations of lower-income families to live with dignity amongst beautiful, natural settings.

THREAT: Despite remaining structurally sound, the Chicago Housing Authority intends to demolish Lathrop Homes and replace it with an apartment-condominium-townhome development. This in the face of a city scrambling to find solutions to the dearth of quality, lower-income housing.

CURRENT STATUS: Preservation Chicago urges that both the community and the buildings be preserved. A group of Lathrop residents and neighbors, the Lathrop Leadership Team, has formulated a plan that calls on the CHA to revitalize Lathrop as a low- and moderate-income community, minimizing the displacement of the current residents. The Leadership Team has been assisted by the Logan Square Neighborhood Association.

THE 2007 CHICAGO 7 MOST ENDANGERED BUILDINGS...WHERE THEY STAND

In January of this year, Preservation Chicago unveiled its �007 list of Chicago’s 7 Most Endangered Buildings. What follows is a summary of each nominee and its current status as of this writing. You can read more about all of them – their histories, the threats and our recommendations – at www.preservationchicago.org/chicago7.html.

THE FARWELL BUILDING (see cover article on pages 6-8)

HISTORIC ARCHER AVENUEAddress: Archer Avenue (2700 South - 3100 South), in Bridgeport Date: 1866 – 1899 Architects: Various

OVERVIEW: At this spot, the town of Bridgeport was born. With its eclectic mix of architectural styles dating from the mid to late �800’s, historic Archer Avenue tells a true Chicago story of immigration and commerce – and how the industries that sprung from there formed the backbone of America’s Big-Shouldered city. It is a story that must be preserved. But disinvestment, neglect, and the construction of the Stevenson Expressway in the �950’s all took their toll on Archer Avenue.

THREAT: For the past several years, Bridgeport has been the focus of much new residential and commercial development. Historic façades and entire buildings are rapidly being demolished, only to be replaced by new construction totally incompatible with the historic streetscape. The character of Archer Avenue is slowly, but surely dying.

CURRENT STATUS: Although Preservation Chicago has recommended that the district be landmarked, no action by the city has been taken. The demolitions continue.

Archer Avenue

Julia C. Lathrop Homes

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NORTH AVENUE BRIDGEAddress: Lake Shore Drive near North Ave. (1600 N.)Date: 1938-1940Architect: Ralph H. Burke

OVERVIEW: Driving along the lake, you see it: a low, graceful expanse arcing over Lake Shore Drive without any central support, affording motorists a virtually unobstructed view. The North Avenue Bridge was an engineering triumph that literally represented a bridge to modern architecture…and looks as fresh today as when it was first built.

THREAT: Because this once-revolutionary bridge does not meet modern accessibility requirements, City officials and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) have introduced plans to replace it.

CURRENT STATUS: Funding appears to be several years away, but CDOT is still leaning towards replacement. Preservation Chicago is continuing to advocate preserving the North Avenue Bridge in its entirety. We’ve also put forth a plan that has many successful precedents around the country, wherein a new bridge compliant to the Americans with Disabilities Act would be built adjacent to the historical bridge. If we make the correct choice to preserve it, it will continue to enhance our city with its historical significance and grace.

ROSENWALD (MICHIGAN BOULEVARD GARDEN) APARTMENTSAddress: 4618-4646 South Michigan Boulevard Date: 1929Architects: Ernest Grunsfeld, Jr.

OVERVIEW: During the Great Migration of the �9�0s. nearly �00,000 African-Americans came to Chicago seeking a better life for their families. While jobs were plentiful post WWI, quality housing was in short supply. In response, Mr. Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck & Company, developed the Michigan Boulevard Garden Apartments, a solid, mas-sive complex executed with humane details that encouraged a neighborly atmosphere. For decades, the Apartments were a desirable place to live, counting among its residents poet Gwendolyn Brooks, singer Nat King Cole, boxing great Joe Louis and musician Quincy Jones.

North Avenue Bridge

Rosenwald Apartments

PILGRIM BAPTIST CHURCHAddress: 3301 S. Indiana Avenue Date: 1890Architects: Adler and Sullivan

OVERVIEW: For ��5 years, this Adler and Sullivan masterpiece stood, its awe-inspiring architecture matched only by the history it witnessed within. From the �9�0’s to the ‘40’s, the Pilgrim Baptist Church served as an anchor to the culturally and commercially flourishing Bronzeville. During that time, in this Church, Gospel music was born. After decades of decline that started in the ’50’s, Bronzeville has finally been experiencing a renaissance, part of which was the restoration of the landmarked Church.

THREAT: On January 6, �006, as workers used blowtorches to fix the building’s roof, fire broke out, leaving all in ruins except for portions of the charred limestone façade.

CURRENT STATUS: Significant portions of Pilgrim Baptist’s exterior walls have been determined structurally sound, feeding optimism that the Church could be restored. But funds have fallen woefully short of the $�0 to $40 million expected cost. Mayor Daley has reacted with a pledge to conduct a fundraising drive. As for rebuilding the church, architect Frank Christopher Lee of the Chicago firm Johnson & Lee was assigned to the project in January, �007, and is expected to present plans to the public as early as this summer. What those actual plans entail – including adaptive reuse and duplicating the original Adler/Sullivan drawings – remains to be seen.

Pilgrim Baptist Church, 2006

CITIZENS ADVOCATING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF CHICAGO’S ARCHITECTURE ��

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ROSENWALD (MICHIGAN BOULEVARD GARDEN) APARTMENTS (continued)

THREAT: Ownership changes, mismanagement, and years of neglect have taken their toll on the complex. Plans to revitalize it with financial assistance from the City of Chicago are on hold, allowing the buildings’ continual decay.

CURRENT STATUS: The facility has been vacant for the last several years. Despite the National Register of Historic Places designation in �98�, it is not landmarked. Prompt action is essential to halt the downward spiral before it’s damaged beyond repair. Preservation Chicago will continue to encourage newly-elected Alderman Pat Dowell (3rd Ward), city officials and com-munity leaders to support efforts in the financing and rehabilitation. We believe The Rosenwald has the potential of becoming both an historical showpiece and practical asset to a rejuvenating community.

WICKER PARK COMMERCIAL DISTRICTAddress: Milwaukee Avenue, from the Division/Ashland intersection through the Damen/North intersection Date: 1880’s to 1930’sArchitects: Various OVERVIEW: In the mid �800’s, it was the diagonal path that guided Native Americans towards the heart of city, where they would sell their wares and services. Gradually, Milwaukee Avenue became known as “the immigrants’ path to prosperity.” German, Norwegian, Jewish and Polish settlers poured into the area, setting up businesses that served the community, and building structures that reflected the rich mosaic of cultures. Since then, the businesses have changed. But Milwaukee Avenue has remained the commercial heart of Wicker Park and is in fact, one of the city’s precious few neighborhood commercial strips that has stayed largely intact, still telling the story of Chicago’s evolution.

THREAT: Although part of the Milwaukee commercial strip was placed on the National Register for Historic Places in �979, all of it remains unprotected and vulnerable to teardowns, which have already begun.

CURRENT STATUS: Because the health and vibrancy of the entire residential District is affected by this strip, Preservation Chicago has been advocating landmark designation. Fortunately, the proposed district has been backed by the community, supported by Alderman Flores (�st Ward), and designated a Preliminary Chicago Landmark District at the May meeting of the Landmarks Commission.

– Laura Stigler-Marier Wicker Park Commercial District

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PRESERVATION CHICAGO www.preservationchicago.org

EDGAR MILLER’S ANIMALS FINALLY FIND A NEW HOME: WPA SCULPTURES TO BE RESTORED

While working as an artist for the WPA (Works Progress Administration), the acclaimed Edgar Miller set about becoming the “Dr. Doolittle” of sculptors: In �938, his masterful gift to the city was the Animal Court, a joyful grouping of public art pieces in the form of deer, hippos, wolves, bunnies and more. For over 60 years, the seven limestone sculptures lent a decorative whimsy to the courtyard of a Jane Addams housing project. But they also were functional, providing hours of entertainment for the resident children as they climbed and played amongst the works. Over the years, the Jane Addams residences and the sculptures gradually fell into disrepair. The 3,600-unit housing project (bounded between Cabrini St., �4th St., Loomis St. and Racine Ave.) is currently being demolished to make way for a mixed-income community. As for the sculptures…

ANIMALS RESCUED!Happily, the animals will be restored back to life by sculptor and conservator Andrzej Dajnowski, with an estimated price tag of $��0,000. A kickoff celebration sponsored by the Chicago Housing Authority, was held on April �5th to announce a joint fundraising effort with Related Midwest, Chicago Conservation Center, Roosevelt Square Community Partners, the Chicago Park District and former ABLA residents. After restoration, the animals will reside in a newly created park in Roosevelt Square, a $3.5 million dollar project by developer Related Midwest.

IRONICALLY, THERE IS ONE SACRIFICIAL LAMB…This newly created park is to be built on the site of the soon-to-be demolished Jacob Riis School, which was on Preservation Chicago’s 7 Most Endangered List of �006. Even so, we can still celebrate a win, for as one former life-long resident of the projects has put it, the sculptures historically “represent the good times.” For that, we are grateful that the animals will continue in their romp.

– Stacey Pfingsten & Laura Stigler-Marier

PRESERVATION CHICAGO1016 N. Oakley BoulevardChicago, IL 60622

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Heather Becker, CEO of Chicago Conservation Center

Edgar Miller’s “Hippopotamus” sculpture