The Quarterly Journal of Preservation Chicago One
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Chicago’s 7 most endangered buildings update PAGES 9-11 the VOICE THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF PRESERVATION CHICAGO ISSUE No 3 SPRING - SUMMER 2007 THE FARWELL BUILDING 660-664 N. Michigan Avenue Architect - Philip B. Maher, 1927 CITIZENS ADVOCATING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF CHICAGO’S ARCHITECTURE ONE MAGNIFICENT MOCKERY VOICEthe PRESERVATION CHICAGO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 1016 North Oakley Boulevard SPRING, 2007 Chicago, IL 60622 Board of Directors A New City Council – A New Preservation Agenda Jonathan Fine President Michael Moran Vice President By all accounts, the February 7th and subsequent April 7th aldermanic run-off elections were a stunning rebuke to the old Chicago “Machine.” Marcia Matavulj Treasurer Several longtime aldermen were knocked off in the first round: Legendary Kim Mickelson Secretary 4nd Ward alderman Burt Natarus was replaced by 34-year-old Brendan Bill Neuendorf Exec. Comm. Reilly; sixteen-year incumbent Arenda Troutman (0th) was beaten Craig Norris Exec. Comm. by former police officer and community activist Willy Cochran; and Sharon Russell Exec. Comm. Sandi Jackson, wife of Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., trounced Darcel Beavers. Ms. Beavers was installed late last year to warm the seat of her Kimberlee Smith Exec. Comm. father, 7th Ward powerbroker William Beavers, who moved over to the Laura Stigler-Marier Exec. Comm. Cook County Board of Commissioners. Jeremi Bryant Board Bob Clarke Board The run-offs knocked off 5 more long-serving incumbents. Voters sent Meghan Eagen Board pink slips to nd Ward alderman Madeline Haithcock, Dorothy Tillman (3rd), Shirley Coleman (6th) and Michael Chandler (4th). They will Sandy Gartler Board be replaced by Bob Fioretti, Pat Dowell, Joann Thompson, and Sharon Eugene Kaminski Board Denise Dixon respectively. However, one of the biggest upsets was in the Vana Kikos Board 3nd Ward, where newcomer Scott Waguespack ended the 70-year reign Nina Newhouser Board of the Ted Matlak-Terry Gabinski-Dan Rostenkowski political oligarchy. Scott Rappe Board A very different city council will now be doing the people’s business. Andy Schcolnik Board And it is hoped that part of that business will include an emphasis on Jack Spicer Board historic preservation. Brooke Williams Board While all politics is local, and each race was determined mostly by Contact us: bread and butter issues, there is no doubt that over-development and neighborhood preservation was the deciding factor in many of these races. www.preservationchicago.org Several of the winning candidates made openness and transparency part ph: 773.489.0300 of their campaigns. Others promised more community oversight and fax: 773.489.0874 participation with regards to development issues in their ward. All of this email: [email protected] bodes well for historic preservation in the next 4 years. EDITOR IN CHIEF: Jonathan Fine SENIOR EDITOR: Laura Stigler-Marier However, not surprisingly, every stakeholder in this election has already GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Sandy Gartler drawn up their own political wish list and will all be aggressively COMMUNICATIONS MGR.: Stacey Pfingsten jockeying for their pet projects to be placed at the top of the agenda. PHOTO CREDITS: And Preservation Chicago will certainly be right there advocating for its Cover: Stacey Pfingsten Page 3: Michael Moran own agenda. The priorities we would like to see addressed include more Page 4: Peter DeCamp staff and resources for the Landmarks Commission, better monitoring Page 5: William Stephens and protection for Orange- and Red-rated buildings, more developer Page 6: David Audino, private collection incentives to preserve historic structures, and uniform signage in our Page 7: David Audino, private collection landmark districts. But most importantly, we would like to see an active Page 8: David Audino, private collection Page 9: Michael Moran & Chicago Housing Auth. preservation caucus form within city council that will aggressively Page 0: Danielle Scruggs/DRFP, Sandy Gartler advocate for our city’s historical and architectural legacy. and William Neuendorf Page 11: Danielle Scruggs/DRFP Jonathan Fine Page 12: Jonathan Fine President, Preservation Chicago © 007 PRESERVATION CHICAGO All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is strictly prohibited. Preservation Chicago is a not-for-profit organization registered as a 50c3. PRESERVATION CHICAGO www.preservationchicago.org Excerpts from Jonathan Fine’s HONORING THE LANDMARKING OF THE plaque dedication statement ROBERT’S TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST Sunday, April 15, 2007 … because so many Chicago COMING FULL CIRCLE IN A STORY THAT CHANGED THE COUNTRY buildings that tell the story of the In the Summer ‘06 issue of The Voice, our feature article told of how the tragic Great Migration and the African- murder of young Emmett Till and his mother’s courage galvanized the Civil Rights American experience have been Movement…and how the site of Emmett’s funeral, Roberts Temple Church of God demolished, I just assumed that this in Christ, was granted Chicago landmark status in March, 006 – ensuring that that watershed event would never be forgotten. church was gone too. (See http://www.preservationchicago.org/news/newsletter.html) … The Robert’s Temple Church of God HONORING HISTORY… AND THE DESIGNATION in Christ will now be able to take its One year later, the landmark designation itself was given its full due: a dedication rightful place in the story of the Civil took place on April 3th, 007 with the unveiling of a plaque mounted on the Rights Movement. Other landmarks, Church’s State Street façade. A worship ceremony was then held on Sunday, including the Edmund Pettus Bridge, April 5th, in the Church’s main sanctuary. Both events drew a large crowd of Little Rock’s Central High School, The proud Church members, along with members of Emmett Till’s extended family, 16th Street Baptist Church, and the the Church’s leaders, Commission on Chicago Landmarks officials, members of very bus that Mrs. Parks was riding Preservation Chicago, and special guests from far and wide. on that day have all been recognized At the Sunday celebration, several distinguished speakers offered thanks for the as important icons of the era… landmark designation, one of whom was Preservation Chicago president Jonathan Fine (see sidebar). But the ceremony’s zenith came when Emmett Till’s cousin, The events that took place in this Simeon Wright, stepped up to the podium. Mr. Wright was sleeping in the same building as a consequence of the room as Emmett on the night of the abduction and murder. Standing on “hallowed courage of Emmett’s mother, Mamie ground,” as one eloquent speaker had put it, Mr. Wright recounted fond stories of Till Mobley, are no less worthy. Emmett, bringing this bright-eyed young man to life for the congregation. Hopefully, the story of Emmett Till BETTER TO ACT, THAN REACT. will continue to be told. We as a The lessons for landmarking sites such as Robert’s Temple Church of God in Christ society have an obligation and a 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 duty to ensure that buildings like unrecognized historic sites such as Robert’s Temple, we ensure that they are not The Robert’s Temple, and the history demolished, but rather, allowed to stand so as to educate, enrich, and enhance a City, that it holds, are not destroyed. If its people and future generations. we want to preserve history, we have to preserve the places where In the case of Robert’s Temple, that enrichment can have national and international that history was made. We must be 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 able to stand where those who made Wardlow, Jr., pastor of history stood. Because if you can Robert’s Temple and City stand on the spot where history was of Chicago officials who made, you can say that it happened... so actively participated in AND IT HAPPENED RIGHT HERE. 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 CITIZENS ADVOCATING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF CHICAGO’S ARCHITECTURE 3 VOICEthe 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 06 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 Lake Shore Athletic Club - 850 N. Lake Shore Drive upon the ability to erect a new building. On April 5th, Architect - Jarvis Hunt, 1927 Fifield applied for a demolition permit. But rest assured, the newly-founded Lake Shore Preservation Group, the • A 35’ x 75’ swimming pool, once touted as one of the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents (SOAR), most luxurious in the country. Landmarks Illinois, the citizens of greater Chicago and • Handball courts and squash courts, the latter having Preservation Chicago are not standing idly by. The Lake hosted national tournaments. Shore Athletic Club will not go down without a fight.