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Hospitals
Provident Hospital of Cook County (500 E. 51st St.)
Michel Reese Hospital (2929 S. Ellis Ave)
Parks
Ellis Park (707 E. 37th St.)
Anderson Park (3748 S. Prairie Ave.)
Birch Play Lot Park (425 E. 45th Street)
Armstrong Park (4433 S. St. Lawrence)
Taylor Park (41 W. 47th St.)
Harding Playground (4912 S. Calumet Ave)
Honey Suckle Play Lot Park (4635 S. Champlain Ave)
Black
Metropolis - Bronzeville District
These
nine structures are what remain of the "Metropolis," one of
the nation's most significant landmarks of African-American urban history.
Developed during the first decades of the 20th century, this "city-within-a-city"
was home to numerous nationally prominent, African-American-owned and
-operated businesses and cultural institutions. This district offered
a commercial alternative to the race restrictions and indifference that
characterized much of the city during the early part of the 20th century.
Between 1910 and 1920, during the peak of the "Great Migration,"
the population of the area increased dramatically when thousands of
African-Americans fled the oppression of the south and emigrated to
Chicago in search of industrial jobs. Further development of the area
was halted by the onset of the Great Depression. Many famous people
were associated with the development of the area including: Jesse Biga,
banker ; Anthony Overton, entrepreneur; Joesph Jordan, musician; Andrew
"Rube" Foster, founder of the Negro National Baseball League;
Ida B. Wells, a civil rights activist, journalist and organizer of the
NAACP; Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman pilot; and Louis
Armstrong, the legendary trumpet player and bandleader who performed
at many of the area's night clubs. The name, "Black Metropolis,"
became firmly established with the publication of a 1945 sociological
study of the same title. In later years the area was referred to as
"Bronzeville," a term attributed to an editor at the Chicago
Bee.
Overton Hygienic
Building (3619-27 S. State Street)
Built by noted entrepreneur Anthony Overton as the headquarters for
the Overton Hygienic Company, which was one of the nation's foremost
producers of African-American cosmetics. This four-story structure also
housed several of Overton's other business ventures, including the Victory
Life Insurance Company and Douglass National Bank, the first nationally
chartered, African-American-owned bank. Offices on the second floor
were rented to area physicians, lawyers, music producers, and architects.
Chicago Bee Building
(3647-55 S. State Street)
This Art Deco-style building was constructed as the headquarters for
the Chicago Bee newspaper, which was founded by noted African-American
entrepreneur Anthony Overton. It originally featured upper-floor apartments
and, during the 1930's, housed the offices of the Douglass National
Bank and the Overton Hygienic Company, a nationally known cosmetics
firm. The newspaper went out of business in the 1940s, although Overton
Hygienic continued until the early 1980s. In the mid-1990's, the building
was adapted for reuse as a branch of the Chicago Public Library.
Wabash Avenue
YMCA (3763
S. Wabash Ave.)
An important center of community life, this Young Men's Christian Association
facility also provided housing and job training for new arrivals from
the South during the "Great Migration" of African-Americans
in the first decades of the 20th century. A notable aspect of the buildings
diverse history was the founding here, in 1915, of the Association for
the Study of Negro Life and History, one of the first groups devoted
to African-American studies. The building was expanded to the south
in 1945. It closed as a YMCA in the late 1970's.
Chicago Defender Building (3435 S. Indiana Ave.)
This former Jewish synagogue was home to the Chicago Defender from 1920
until 1960. Founded by Robert S. Abbott in 1905, the newspaper became
nationally known for its outspoken editorial policies on behalf of civil
rights issues. The "Great Migration" of the early-20th century
was largely initiated by Defender editorials urging African-Americans
to leave the poverty of the South for new opportunities in the North.
Unity Hall
(3140 S. Indiana Ave.)
Originally built as the Lakeside Club, a Jewish social organization,
this structure was renamed in 1917 when it became the headquarters of
the Peoples Movement Club, a political organization headed by Oscar
Stanton DePriest (1871-1951), the first African-American elected to
the City Council and the first northern black elected to the U.S. House
of Representatives. The building is a rare surviving 19th-century clubhouse
structure, and is an excellent example of the type of architecture found
in the community in the 1880's. Since the 1950's, it has been occupied
by religious institutions.
Eighth Regiment
Armory (3533 S. Giles Ave.)
This was the first armory in the United States built for an African-American
military regiment. The "Fighting 8th" traces its roots to
the formation of the volunteer Hannibal Guard militia in 1871. It later
became a division of the Illinois National Guard and during World War
I was incorporated into the 370th U.S. Infantry (also see Victory Monument).
After the armory closed in the early-1960s, it became the South Central
Gymnasium. In 1999, following an extensive renovation, it was reopened
as a public high school.
Sunset Café
(315 E.
35th St.)
Following a 1921 remodeling, this simple automobile garage was transformed
into one of the city's earliest and most legendary jazz venues. Its
house orchestra featured such famed musicians as Louis Armstrong, Johnny
Dodds, and Earl "Fatha" Hines, while its floor shows introduced
the latest dances to local audiences. Many promising young artists,
including Bix Beiderbecke, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Gene Krupa,
got their start at late-night sessions here. After a 1937 remodeling,
it was renamed the Grand Terrace Cafe and remained a popular night club
until 1950. It later housed the office of the Second Ward Regular Democratic
Organization and became a hardware store in the 1970s.
Victory Monument
(35th Street and King Drive)
This structure was erected to honor the meritorious achievements of
the Eighth Regiment of the Illinois National Guard, an African-American
unit that served in France during World War I as part of the 370th U.S.
Infantry. The bronze panels and the soldier atop the monument, which
was added in 1936, were designed by Leonard Crunelle, a former pupil
of noted Chicago sculptor Lorado Taft. The monument was dedicated on
Armistice Day (November 11th) in 1928.
Supreme Life
Building (3501 S. King Dr.)
This was the longtime headquarters of the first African-American owned
and operated insurance company in the northern United States. Founded
in 1919 by Frank L. Gillespie (as the Liberty Life Insurance Company),
the firm moved in 1921 into the second floor of this building, which
had been constructed by the Roosevelt State Bank. Liberty Life bought
the entire structure in 1924 and, in 1929, merged with two out-of-state
firms to form the Supreme Life Insurance Company of America. In 1950,
after becoming one of the few major businesses of "Black Metropolis"
to survive the Great Depression, the company modernized the building
by covering the original classical-style facade with porcelain-metal
panels.
New
Additions
Harold Washington
Cultural Center
At the site of what was once the historic Regal Theater now rest the
new Harold Washington Cultural Center, a facility that boast a performing
arts theatre, a digital media resource center, broadcast instutite and
a recording studio. At the heart of the Harold Washington Cultural Center
is the ComEd Thearte, a 1,000 seat preforming arts hall used to promate
profesional playing national recording artists and programs for the
youth.
Negro League Cafe
The Negro League Cafe is an upscale resturant located on 43 Street at
Prairie Avenue opened its doors on Thursday, July 29, 2004. It serves
a mellow mix of Caribbean and Soul Food and employs members of the surrounding
community area and is fast becoming a vital and relevant part of the
community.
The Swift Mansion
This historic south side mansion was built by the Swift family in 1893,
and is today owned and occupied by the Chicago Urban League. A master
plan for reuse was prepared for the client which investigated all aspects
of the building, from the historic stone facade, window repair, accessibility
laws, and structural load-carrying capacity of the floors.
Bronzeville 1st Bed & Breakfast
The 5,000 square foot, 14 room building has a common sitting room
with a fireplace, a billiard room, a roof-top sundeck, a fitness area,
a health spa and hot tub, laundry facilities, free parking, complimentary
breakfast, complimentary afternoon tea, a concierge on-site and prompt
butler and room service all add to your visit.
Crystal chandeliers,
marble fireplaces and all of the original hardwood flooring and woodwork
add to the splendor. The Bronzeville's 1st is also wired throughout
for high-speed Internet access, and is very suited for business trips
and business service requests.
In addition, there
is round table and reception-size seating available for various gatherings
of up to and over 150 people.
Spoken Word Cafe
In the tradition of “Jazz and Java” and “Some Like
it Black,” both well-known South Side poetry spots, the Spoken
Word Cafe continues the South Side’s love affair with literature
and the arts. Located in historic Bronzeville, a neighborhood that,
much like Harlem in New York, played a critical part in the cultural
and social renaissance of this city’s African-American population,
the cafe hosts regular poetry and literary readings where performers
can perhaps channel the likes of Richard Wright and Gwendolyn Brooks,
just two of the notable writers that have called Bronzeville home. Readings
aside, the cafe’s cozy space is a perfect place to spend an afternoon.
(Venita Griffin)
BLU 47 Restaurant & Lounge
Crocodile Lounge owner Darryl Petty took the South Loop by storm with
his ultra-trendy hangout frequented by African-American professionals.
Now, he moves further south with this upscale casual eatery. The arrival
of Blu 47 in the regentrified Bronzeville neighborhood offers the area
a sophisticated and soulful alternative to the downtown scene. Specializing
in contemporary American cuisine, Blu 47 is a rare breed in an area
known for its down-home Southern style. Menu highlights include a fruit-glazed
tilapia, grilled steaks, chicken ''lollipops'' (drumsticks drizzled
with pesto sauce and shaved to resemble lollipops), and the signature
dish, the Bayou catfish, which is stuffed with fresh crabmeat. Sip the
signature cocktail, the Blu 47 Martini (made with pineapple juice, Malibu
rum and Bacardi Light rum), or the always fashionable apple or chocolate
martinis. The main dining room is drenched in rich chocolate and light
blue hues, while the tiny, intimate lounge is plush and funky set in
burgundy and gold. On most nights, traditional and contemporary jazz
plays softly throughout the room. And on occasion -- once a month --
get ready for live entertainment by local jazz bands. -- Audarshia Townsend
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/B/BlackMet.html
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/O/Overton.html
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/C/ChicagoBee.html
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/W/WabashYMCA.html
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/D/Defender.html
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/U/UnityHall.html
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/E/EighthRegiment.html
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/S/SunsetCafe.html
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/V/Victory.html
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/S/Supreme.html
http://centerstage.net/restaurants/spoken-word-cafe.html
http://www.lanierbb.com/inns/bb3184.html
http://www.digitalcity.com/chicago/dining/venue.adp?sbid=148778
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