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Analysis of Sites in Chicago Associated with Julius Rosenwald

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Analysis of Sites in Chicago Associated with Julius Rosenwald The Campaign to Create a Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park Analysis of Sites in Chicago Associated with the Life and Legacy of Julius Rosenwald August 2020 Julia S. Bachrach Elizabeth A. Patterson 1 Cover Illustrations Left side, top to bottom: Sears, Roebuck & Company Administration Building, photo by Julia S. Bachrach Wabash Avenue YMCA, photo by Julia S. Bachrach Museum of Science and Industry, photo by Julia S. Bachrach South Side Community Art Center, photo by Dennis McClendon Rosenwald Courts, photo by Dennis McClendon Right side: Julius Rosenwald, photo from Notable Men 2 of Chicago and Their City, 1910 Contents 5 Executive Summary 7 Introduction 8 Sites Considered 9 Map of Chicago Sites Considered 11 Sears, Roebuck & Company Administration Building 19 Wabash Avenue YMCA 25 Museum of Science and Industry 33 Rosenwald Courts 39 South Side Community Art Center 45 Rosenwald Home 47 Conclusion 49 Bibliography Design layout and map by Dennis McClendon, Chicago CartoGraphics ©Julia S. Bachrach, Elizabeth A. Patterson, and the Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park Campaign, 2020 3 Dedication This report is dedicated to the National Parks Conservation Association and the National Trust for Historic Preservation for their continuing steadfast support of and assistance to the Rosenwald Park Campaign in its mission to create a Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald 4 Schools National Historical Park. Executive Summary Founded in 2016, the Rosenwald Park Campaign seeks to honor and preserve the important contributions to American history by businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. The Campaign proposes the development of a multi-site National Historical Park with a small number of Rosenwald Schools in various locations and a visitor center in Rosenwald’s home city of Chicago. In 2018, the Campaign commissioned a report setting forth the historic context for the proposed Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park. It includes a detailed inventory of dozens of remaining Rosenwald Schools to help the National Park Service determine which sites would be most appropriate for inclusion in the park. In early 2020, the Campaign decided to prepare a second report analyzing various Chicago sites relevant to the life and legacy of Julius Rosenwald that might be considered for the proposed National Park’s visitor center. This report discusses the following properties: Sears Roebuck & Company Administration Building, 3333 W. Arthington Street Wabash Avenue YMCA, 3763 S. Wabash Avenue Museum of Science and Industry, Jackson Park Rosenwald Courts, 4648 S. Michigan Avenue South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Avenue Information about the Rosenwald home at 4901 S. Ellis Avenue is also included. This building is still a privately-owned residence, and thus would not be an appropriate candidate as a visitor center site. Primary and secondary sources were used to document these Chicago properties that are related to the life and legacy of Julius Rosenwald. For each property, the report includes: brief description of the building historic and current ownership and usage federal (and local) historic designation status significance according to National Register of Historic Places criteria (Beyond what is in the registration documentation for listings in the National Register of Historic Places in which the properties are already included, the conclusions about whether properties otherwise meet the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places individually and why they meet certain criteria are those of the authors.) 5 associations with Julius Rosenwald initial analysis of its appropriateness as a National Park visitor center The report does not make recommendations relating to the feasibility or suitability of any of the properties to be included in the National Park System or to be used as a visitor center. That analysis is the purview of the National Park Service. 6 Introduction The Rosenwald Park Campaign Historic Preservation Officers in was founded in late 2016 with the the 15 southern states in which mission of establishing a Julius Rosenwald School facilities were Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools built. The Campaign requested National Historical Park. The son of from each state recommendations German Jewish immigrants, Julius of up to five school facilities using Rosenwald (1862-1932) achieved criteria previously vetted with the great wealth leading Sears, Roebuck Rosenwald experts in those states. & Company to become the retailing All 15 states responded, with 14 powerhouse of the early 20th states nominating a total of 55 century. Inspired by the Jewish Rosenwald Schools and one teacher sense of community with which home. Missouri did not make any he was raised, Rosenwald became recommendations because only four a visionary philanthropist who school facilities were constructed partnered with African American there; none remains in a condition communities across the South to fit for consideration. build schoolhouses for children who Between late 2017 and the summer otherwise would have had extremely of 2019, Campaign representatives limited or no access to the public visited 34 schools and the teacher education to which they were home. in 12 of the states. Following entitled. He also sponsored many the visits, the representatives other programs to improve the lives prepared checklist tables containing of African Americans nationally, as relevant information on the facilities well as several initiatives to benefit and photographs. The Campaign the Black community in Chicago, his will be preparing a report on the 56 home. He contributed to numerous recommended school facilities that other charitable organizations, will contain the checklist tables as including Jane Addams’ Hull House an appendix. in Chicago and Jewish charities. In 2018, the Campaign developed The Campaign proposes the preliminary draft Congressional development of a multi-site legislation to direct the National National Historical Park. Its plans Park Service to conduct a special call for a visitor center in Chicago resource study of the sites and a small number of Rosenwald associated with the life and legacy Schools in their original locations of Julius Rosenwald, with special to be selected by the National Park emphasis on the Rosenwald Service (NPS). Schools. In June 2019, Senator In the summer of 2017, the Richard Durbin and Representative Campaign wrote to the State Danny Davis, both of Illinois, jointly 7 introduced The Julius Rosenwald and Once the legislation is passed, Rosenwald Schools Act of 2019 in the the Campaign will submit this Senate and House, respectively. document, its report on the 56 Great progress has been made since recommended Rosenwald School then. Both bills have bipartisan facilities, and the historic context support; currently the House study report to the NPS to assist its Bill has 43 cosponsors and the employees in conducting the special Senate Bill nine. The House Natural resource study. Resources Committee approved by This report presents relevant unanimous consent the markup of information on and photographs the House Bill on March 11, 2020. of five sites in Chicago associated On June 11, 2020, that Bill was with the life and legacy of Julius committed to the Whole House Rosenwald that were analyzed for Committee. The Senate held a possible consideration by the NPS hearing on March 4, 2020, on its as a visitor center for the planned version of the bill. Currently, work is Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald underway on preparing a markup Schools National Historical Park. It that will be considered in a hearing also briefly discusses Rosenwald’s in the Senate Energy and Natural home in Chicago’s Kenwood Resources Committee. neighborhood. In 2018, the Campaign had an historic context study report Sites Considered prepared on Julius Rosenwald The Chicago sites are discussed and the Rosenwald Schools. The in the following order: report concluded that Rosenwald Sears, Roebuck & Company and the Schools are of national Administration Building historic significance and that the Wabash Avenue YMCA National Historical Park would be an important addition to the National Museum of Science and Industry Park System. Rosenwald Courts A Campaign representative visited South Side Community Art Center a number of sites in Chicago associated with Julius Rosenwald’s A brief overview of business activities and philanthropic Julius Rosenwald’s home achievements, as well as his follows Sites Considered boyhood home in Springfield, IL, which is a part of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. This report provides salient information on five sites in Chicago that may be candidates for the Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park visitor center. 8 North Ave Humboldt Map ofPark Chicago Sites Considered Chicago Ave Grand Water Tower Conservatory Place Navy Pier CTA Green Line Madison Park LAKE United Center CTA Blue Line Grant 290 Park p. 9 Univ of Illinois at MI CHI GAN Sears, Roebuck & Co Roosevelt Chicago Administration Building 3333 W. Arthington Soldier Field Douglas CTA Pink Line Ogden Park McCormick Cicero Cermak Place State King Dr 31st ONE M ILE Illinois Inst Hawthorne of Technology O NE KM Race Course 55 Guaranteed Rate Field p. 17 South Side Sanitary & Ship Canal Wabash Avenue YMCA p. 37 Pershing 3763 S. Wabash Community Art Center 3831 S. Michigan CHICAGO Line Red CTA Rosenwald Courts p. 31 47th 4642 S. Michigan Lake Park 41 50 CTA Orange Line
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