Preservation Chicago is a historic preservation advocacy group in Chicago, Illinois, which formally commenced operations on October 23, 2001. The organization was formed by a group of Chicagoans who had assembled the previous year to save a group of buildings which included Coe Mansion, which had once housed Ranalli's pizzeria and The Red Carpet, a French restaurant that had been frequented by Jack Benny and Elizabeth Taylor. Other preservation campaigns that were instrumental in the founding of Preservation Chicago included St. Boniface Church, the Scherer Building, and the New York Life Insurance Building.
Advocacy
2000s
One of Preservation Chicago's first campaigns was the fight against the demolition of the old Chicago Mercantile Exchange Building. Ultimately demolished in 2003, its demolition has been ranked one of the city's most senseless demolitions, and the public outcry that followed led the city to adopt the 90 day demolition delay for certain historic and architecturally significant buildings that do not have landmark protection. The site of the old Chicago Mercantile Exchange Building has remained vacant.
In October 2002, Preservation Chicago released its first "Chicago 7" list of the city's seven most endangered historic places, which included the old Chicago Mercantile Exchange building, the Cook County Hospital Building, the Metropolitan Community Church, the New York Life Insurance Building, St. Boniface Church, and the Lower River North Historic District.
Preservation Chicago led the fight to save the Cook County Hospital Building after the county announced its intent to close the hospital and demolish it at a cost of $30 million. The building has since been restored and reopened in 2020 as a mixed use development featuring a Hyatt Hotel along with a food hall and commercial and office space.
Preservation Chicago advocated for the preservation of the last remaining Magikist neon sign, and was weeks away from naming it as one of the seven most endangered historic places in the city when the sign was abruptly torn down in late 2003.
In November 2003, the organization released their second "Chicago 7" list, which included the Cook County Hospital Building, Prentice Women's Hospital, the Isabella Building, the South Side Masonic Temple, the West Loop Mercantile District, the East Village neighborhood, and religious structures throughout the city. One religious building that Preservation Chicago has long fought to save is St. Gelasius Church in Woodlawn. In 2003, the archdiocese was preparing to demolish the church, but a nun successfully stalled the demolition when she refused to allow contractors into an adjacent building to shut off power to the church.
In January 2005, the organization's third "Chicago 7" list was released, which included Lincoln Park's Sheffield Historic District, Chicago-School Factories and Warehouses, the Illinois Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary, the Goodman Theatre, the Hotel Dana, Jacob Riis Public School, and 444 N. LaSalle Drive.
Preservation Chicago's fourth annual Chicago 7 list included the Interior Furniture Building, the Pilsen neighborhood, 59th and Halsted and other endangered historic intersections, Promontory Point, the New York Life Insurance Building, Wrigley Field Rooftops, and the Hayes-Healy Center.
Preservation Chicago successfully advocated for Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, where Emmett Till's funeral was held, to be granted landmark status. The church was granted landmark status in 2007.
2007's Chicago 7 list included Pilgrim Baptist Church, the North Avenue Pedestrian Bridge, the Rosenwald Apartments, the Archer Avenue District, the Milwaukee Avenue Commercial District, the Julia C. Lathrop Homes, and the Farwell Building. Pilgrim Baptist Church, which was designed by Adler & Sullivan and was originally a synagogue, suffered a fire the previous year, which only left the outer walls standing. Two other Louis Sullivan designed buildings, the Wirt Dexter Building and the George Harvey House, were also lost to fire in 2006. Preservation Chicago has advocated for the restoration of Pilgrim Baptist Church, including after wind caused the collapse of one of the remaining walls in 2020.
