Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative: Planning Phase Report by MIT DUSP

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PLANNING PHASE REPORT

Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative®: Planning Phase University of Illinois at Chicago City Design Center Project Report Project Team: September 2004 – August 2005

Principal Investigator:

Brent D. Ryan

Co-Principal Investigator:

Robert Bruegmann

Writers: Robert Bruegmann, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Art History Brent D. Ryan, Co-Director, City Design Center, and Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Policy Susanne Schnell, Senior Manager, Economic Development, Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago, and Research Assistant Professor, City Design Center Ryan Siegel, Graduate Research Assistant, City Design Center Editors: Brent D. Ryan T. Abraham Lentner, Coordinator of Technical Assistance Programs, City Design Center Designer:

Michael Brown, Graduate Research Assistant

For questions regarding this report contact: City Design Center University of Illinois at Chicago 820 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 330 Chicago, Illinois 60607 Phone: 312-996-4717 www.uic.edu/aa/cdc © 2006 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Use for commercial purposes prohibited without permission. All rights reserved.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

February 14, 2006 This Planning Phase Report produced by the City Design Center of the University of Illinois at Chicago describes the work of an incredible number of partners and volunteers who worked together during the Planning Phase to identify the Greystone housing stock in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, who delved into the history of Greystones and how this building style impacted North Lawndale, and who helped set the direction for the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative®. In addition to the members of both the Historic Heritage Advisory Group and the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® Steering Team that are identified in the Planning Phase Report, many other North Lawndale residents and Greystone owners contributed their ideas and insight during the Planning Phase. The Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® Steering Team discussed and identified several different Program components that will be part of the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® Program when the Program begins. As of this date, the Program components for the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® have not been finalized and are not yet available. The Program components of the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® will become available in the early summer of 2006 when the formal public announcement is made to the North Lawndale community and the City of Chicago about the launching of the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® Program. In the meantime, and until the official public launch of the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative®, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Inc. (NHS) does offer affordable loans for home purchase, home purchase with rehabilitation, and home improvement to all homeowners in the North Lawndale community and throughout the City of Chicago. If you are interested in receiving information about NHS’ programs, or if you are interested in purchasing a home or making home improvements at this time, please contact NHS at (800) 882-0882. If you want to be included on the contact list for the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® when the Program begins in the summer of 2006, please tell the Operator that you are interested in the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® list when you call. Sincerely,

Bruce A. Gottschall Executive Director

Jim Wheaton Deputy Director, Programs and Strategies

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Chapter 1: History of North Lawndale Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 History of North Lawndale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Historic Research Methods and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Summary of Findings from Historical Building Research . . . . . . . 22 Architectural Evolution of Greystones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Chapter 2: Greystone Geography and Attributes Research Methods and Data Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Research Findings, Greystone Geography and Attributes . . . . . . 33 Chapter 3: Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® Planning Phase Background and Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Planning Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Implementation Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Appendix A: Historic Heritage Advisory Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Appendix B: Historic Greystone Steering Team Members . . . . . . . . . . 53

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The City Design Center Greystone Initiative team gratefully acknowledges the contributions of institutional and community partners who participated in the Planning Phase of the Initiative. We would especially like to recognize the contributions of Charles Leeks, Jim Wheaton, and Darris Shaw, all of whom are with Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago; Michael Schubert, Community Development Strategies; Commissioner Jack Markowski, Chicago Department of Housing; Commissioner Sadhu Johnston, Chicago Department of Environment; Kristin Dean, Homan Square Community Center Foundation; Royce Yeater, Midwest Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Jim Peters, Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois; and Russell Lewis, Chicago Historical Society. We would also like to thank Charles Shanabruch of the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association. The Metropolitan Planning Council and the Northeast Illinois Planning Commission graciously contributed valuable Presentation of UIC graduate seminar findings to North Lawndale community members, May 4, 2004.

data and technical assistance. We are especially grateful to The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and JPMorgan Chase Foundation for their generous support of planning phase activities for the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative®. We would also like to thank the UIC art history and urban planning students who participated in the 2004 graduate seminar, instructed by Bob Bruegmann, Jim Peters, and Brent Ryan, that generated many valuable ideas for historic preservation in North Lawndale. This report is dedicated to the memory of Charles Shaw and Samuel Flowers.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

INTRODUCTION A Vision for North Lawndale The vision for the Greystone Initiative was first articulated by Charles Leeks, Director of the North Lawndale office of Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago. Leeks believed that any effort to enhance community pride and awareness, build community, and encourage economic development needed to begin with a survey of the community’s assets. To Leeks, one of North Lawndale’s most compelling assets was its historic heritage. This meant, on the one hand, the historic architecture, particularly a collection of institutional buildings, substantial houses and apartment buildings, and the neighborhood’s “greystone” homes. On the other hand, it also meant what Leeks called North Lawndale’s “story,” the rich historical record of people who lived in this Chicago neighborhood over the past century. A compelling vision for building on North Lawndale’s historic heritage is critical to the success of the community effort to launch a localized preservation movement and encourage participation among community stakeholders. This vision is central to the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative®. This new planning and policy initiative will be launched in North Lawndale in 2006 to preserve and promote the neighborhood’s greystone homes as the basis for community economic development. The greystones of North Lawndale are limestone-faced, brick-structure residences built between A typical historic Chicago greystone in the North Lawndale neighborhood.

1890 and 1920 that contain anywhere from one to three units. They are named for the grey limestone that was used for the façades of these homes, and was ornately carved, as shown in the photograph at left.

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

INTRODUCTION The Greystone Initiative Process This report describes the preparation and research performed during

dations for linking Lawndale’s architectural and cultural assets to the

2004 and 2005 to provide a foundation for the Historic Chicago

broader goals of community revitalization and historic heritage tourism.

Greystone Initiative®. Preparatory work included research into the

In 2004, a more formalized planning group was formed by Neighbor-

rich history of North Lawndale, a study of the number and types of

hood Housing Services of Chicago to create a strategic plan for the

greystone homes, the convening of special advisory committees and

Greystone Initiative. The Greystone Steering Team provided periodic

the creation of new organizations to shepherd the initiative.

guidance and feedback on research and planning activities needed to

The Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative®, one of several current (2005)

operationalize the Greystone Initiative in North Lawndale.

revitalization and development priorities for North Lawndale, seeks

The Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® seeks to use one of Chica-

to instill a collective pride of place in residents. It is hoped that resi-

go’s greatest architectural and historic assets – its historic greystone

dents who are informed by a deeper appreciation of Lawndale’s past

homes – to encourage pride of place, stewardship and reinvestment,

will themselves become stewards of the community and its greystone

both in North Lawndale and the city’s older central neighborhoods.

homes, and become more actively engaged in defining and shaping its

The Greystone Initiative will promote the greystone as a means to fur-

future.

ther cultivate Lawndale’s image as a community with a unique historic

Two collaborative community-led groups emerged from this early vision

and cultural legacy. Initially launched in North Lawndale, the Initiative

for Lawndale’s revitalization. The first was an ad hoc advisory group

also seeks to stimulate the local housing market through the rehabilita-

formed in 2003 in conjunction with a year-long planning process under-

tion and preservation of its historic housing stock.

taken by the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago, a nonprofit business organization. The Civic Committee facilitated a collaborative planning process in partnership with local organizations in North Lawndale that resulted in several recommendations for the community’s retail and housing developments. One of the advisory groups that formed during this process focused on Lawndale’s historic heritage and preservation and worked to identify a set of strategic recommen-

The City Design Center’s Role The University of Illinois at Chicago’s City Design Center, founded in 1995, is a research, service, and public education institute in the College of Architecture in the Arts. The research conducted by the City Design Center was a primary component of the strategic planning phase for the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative®. Most notably, the

HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

INTRODUCTION research informed a working definition of greystones that established

First, the City Design Center will lead a team of UIC architecture faculty

program guidelines and other necessary eligibility criteria for the imple-

in an effort to develop and publish a “greystone guidebook” with recom-

mentation phase. Additional research activities included an estimate of

mendations for the preservation and renovation of greystones in North

the number and distribution of greystones in North Lawndale, an assess-

Lawndale and throughout Chicago. The guidebook, which will be pub-

ment of rehabilitation needs and costs, and more accurate data on cur-

lished in two volumes, will explain and review options for various levels

rent greystone occupants.

of investment in greystone renovation, including modest energy efficiency improvements. The audience for the Guidebook will be current

Study Research Design and Questions City Design Center researchers examined the evolution of the greystone housing type. They also inventoried, mapped, and assessed North Lawndale’s greystones. Another goal of the planning phase was to create a programmatic definition of a “greystone” home. In support of the planning phase goals, the City Design Center sought to answer the following research questions: • What are the historic origins of greystones in North Lawndale? • What are the physical characteristics of greystones in North Lawndale? • How many greystones are there in North Lawndale? • What is the geographic distribution of greystones in North Lawndale?

and potential greystone owners, particularly those in North Lawndale, as well as community organizations, contractors, neighborhood investors, and other interested parties. Second, the City Design Center will lead a Greystone Evaluation project, which will document the program’s impact in its first five years of operation. It will measure the effectiveness of the Greystone Initiative in fulfilling its mission of enhancing community pride, providing highquality housing rehabilitation products and services, preserving historic housing stock in North Lawndale and other transitional communities, and promoting the greystone home as a unique housing type across Chicago. Findings from the evaluation could potentially provide data that both inform and influence national policy makers and researchers working in the field of neighborhood revitalization. The evaluation will

City Design Center’s Ongoing Role in the Implementation Phase

be a valuable source of information that could promote the Greystone

In the implementation phase of the Historic Chicago Greystone Initia-

Initiative as a replicable model as well as promote historic heritage as a

tive®, the City Design Center will continue to play a key role in two ways.

viable strategy for rebuilding economically disadvantaged areas.

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER ONE

Map of the North Lawndale community area (Aerial photo courtesy of the US Geological Survey).

HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORY OF NORTH LAWNDALE

History of North Lawndale

Douglas Park, one of the major regional parks of Chicago, was

Robert Bruegmann and Ryan Siegel

designed originally William Le Baron Jenney in the 1870s and rede-

The North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago has a rich cultural

signed in the early 20th Century by Jens Jensen. Douglas and Inde-

legacy and has been a witness to some of the most important aspects

pendence boulevards, also part of the west park system, with their great

of 20 Century American urban history. North Lawndale was home to

institutional structures, became the symbolic heart of the neighborhood

important individuals – including Golda Meir, Benny Goodman, Clar-

and are still, even in their greatly diminished state, among the grand-

ence Darrow and John G. Shedd. The neighborhood was also home

est streets in the city. The neighborhood also boasts one of the largest

to the workers of several nearby national manufacturing giants – like

stocks of greystones in the city of Chicago. North Lawndale and its

Sears, Roebuck & Co, Western Electric, and International Harvester. In

homes have significant historic value that, with preservation and atten-

the 1930s North Lawndale had the third largest Jewish population in the

tion, can build substantial pride of place within the community.

world, after New York and Warsaw.

Location

After WWII, southern African-Americans migrating to Chicago settled in

North Lawndale is located on the West Side of Chicago, approximately

North Lawndale in great numbers. North Lawndale grew to be one of

five miles west of downtown. The area known as North Lawndale is

the largest African-American communities in the nation and was at the

generally considered to be bounded on the North by Interstate 290 (500

center of the civil rights struggle in the 1960s when Dr. Martin Luther

south), the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad tracks - roughly

King, Jr. moved into an apartment in North Lawndale and, along with

Cermak Road (2300 south) - on the South, Western Avenue. (2400 west)

the Contract Buying League, fought against slumlords and racist lend-

on the East, and the Chicago & Northwestern railroad - roughly Kostner

ing practices. It was also one of the centers for Chicago blues music.

Avenue (4400 west) - on the West. North Lawndale is surrounded on

In the 1950s, Roosevelt Road, which runs east to west through the

three sides by railroad tracks and the Eisenhower Expressway to the

north section of Lawndale, was home to Cobra Records and the Copa

North, spanning 3.2 square miles (1). Surrounded by train tracks, trans-

Cabana Club, where the sounds of Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Willie Dixon,

portation has played a crucial role in the development of North Lawn-

and Elmore James could be heard. Roosevelt Road was also one of the

dale. These tracks provided the initial impetus for growth, connected its

centers of protest and rioting after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assas-

largest industries to the regional freight transportation network, and later

sinated in 1968.

provided quick and easy commuter transit to Chicago’s Loop.

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER ONE Today two “El” lines provide fast, accessible mass transit to downtown

eventually employing over 14,000 workers (2). Many of the plant work-

at both the southern and northern edges of the neighborhood. The

ers built cottages in the Eastern portions of Lawndale. The remainder

community is similarly accessible by automobile via the Eisenhower

of North Lawndale was annexed in 1889.

Expressway and major arterials such as Roosevelt Road and Ogden Avenue, which is part of historic Route 66.

The growth of Lawndale’s commercial and residential areas followed the development of new transportation access. The construction of

History of North Lawndale

the Garfield Park elevated train line along Harrison Street during the

During much of the 19th Century, the area today known as North Lawn-

1890s spurred residential development in the northern section of North

dale was undeveloped prairie west of Chicago’s city limits. Inhabited by

Lawndale. New development in the southern portion was aided by the

Native Americans and later white settlers, a trail known as Southwest-

extension of the Douglas Park elevated train line from Western Avenue

ern Plank Road was used in the 1830s to portage canoes from the Des

to Pulaski Road in 1902 and to Cicero Avenue in 1907. The nearby

Plaines River to Lake Michigan. This road, one of the oldest in Chicago,

belt-line railroads provided efficient freight transportation and helped

became Ogden Avenue. The first sign of development came in 1863,

attract manufacturing plants to the neighborhood. Western Electric

when a settlement called Crawford appeared following the construc-

Company opened a plant in the City of Cicero just west of Lawndale in

tion of the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy railroad. Crawford was a

1903, which at its height employed 43,000 people (3). In 1905, Sears,

residential suburb whose main inhabitants were German and Dutch. In

Roebuck & Co moved its offices and production facilities from Michigan

1869, the majority of North Lawndale west to Pulaski Road was annexed

Avenue in Chicago’s Loop to Homan Avenue and Arthington Street in

to Chicago. The area’s name was officially changed to Lawndale by

North Lawndale and grew to employ over 10,000 workers in its mail

the real estate firm Millard and Decker and subsequently subdivided

order facility (4).

in 1870. That same year the West Park Board purchased land for the

As might be expected, the first two decades of the 20th Century were

creation of Douglas Park. Lawndale, along with many other west side

characterized by a rapid pace of both residential housing construction

communities, flourished after the Chicago Fire of 1871 as people and

and population growth. The decades were also marked by successive

businesses relocated out of the city center. The McCormick Reaper

waves of immigration - first the Bohemians and Polish, then Russian

Company, which would become International Harvester, built a large

Jews. Between 1910 and 1920, the population doubled from 46,226

plant in the Lower West Side of Chicago on Western Avenue in 1871,

to 93,750. It is within these two decades of rapid expansion that the

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORY OF NORTH LAWNDALE greystone, generally a standard brick 2 or 3-flat adorned with a more costly and elegant limestone façade, came to prominence. The size and character of North Lawndale greystones reflect the variety and needs of the people who lived in them. There are several large single-family homes along the 2100 block of South Avers, which were built for an upperclass clientele. At the opposite end of the spectrum, there are blocks of modest one-story “shoebox” greystones in “K-Town,” the western most part of North Lawndale, between Pulaski and Kostner. However, the majority of greystones in North Lawndale were built for and inhabited by middle-class families – often people who worked in nearby factories. These buildings differ considerably from the older, larger, more lavish greystones built in other neighborhoods throughout the city for a wealthier clientele. Blocks of single-

Figure 1.1 Greystones in “K-Town”.

family, 2- and 3-flat greystones were built throughout the community by a variety of independent builders, owners, and architects. There was no dominant developer or builder with the necessary financing to develop several blocks of greystones all at once, yet all greystones possessed standard characteristics and design features because of the market demands and prevailing tastes of the time. Immigration and the building boom continued through the 1920s. By 1930, the population of North Lawndale had swelled to 112,000 people, with the Russian Jews making up the largest group at 46% of the population (5). The neighborhood became the second most densely populated area in Chicago Figure 1.2 Greystones on 2100 block of South Avers.

with 51,011 people per square mile, just behind Grand Boulevard on the South Side (6). With mounting population pressure, many large apartment

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER ONE complexes were constructed on corner lots and along Douglas and

The population of North Lawndale dropped to approximately 100,000

Independence Boulevards throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Some of

between 1930 and 1950 (8). In part, this decline was due to the fact that

the larger apartments were subdivided and rented as kitchenette units.

some of the area’s Jewish population had moved northward to commu-

Even as larger structures were constructed, buildings were rarely taller

nities like Albany Park and Rogers Park. Beginning in the 1940s and con-

than three stories. In 1938, 41% of the dwelling units in North Lawndale

tinuing into the 1950s, blacks had begun to replace the relocated Jews.

were found in structures of four units or more; another 42% were in

Most of these newly arrived African-American families were middle-class

2- and 3-flats. Only six percent of dwelling units were in single-family

and lived near the northern boundary of North Lawndale.

residences.

This ethnic diversity of North Lawndale was short-lived, however. Whites

Lawndale was also an important institutional center. In 1938, there

fled North Lawndale in droves in the 1950s, many succumbing to racial

were 49 synagogues in North Lawndale and several large and signifi-

fears that were easily manipulated by unscrupulous realtors. Realtors

cant Jewish institutions, like the Jewish People’s Institute, and Hebrew

would use “blockbuster” scare tactics to quickly acquire the homes of

Theological College, located along Douglas Boulevard (7). Over the

white residents and then sell to African-American families at inflated

next three decades (1920-1950), many community institutions were

prices. African-Americans who could not afford to pay for conventional

established: Mt. Sinai Hospital, Herzl Junior College. Golda Meir, one of

mortgages and down payments had few options but the increasingly

the founders of Israel and that country’s fourth prime minister, first came

prevalent predatory lenders. The white population of North Lawndale

to learn about the Zionist Movement at Poale Zion, the Chicago Labor

dropped from 87,000 to less than 11,000. During the same ten-year

Zionist headquarters located at 3222 West Douglas Boulevard. The

period the African American population increased from 13,000 in 1950 to

neighborhood was well served by Douglas Park Auditorium and numer-

more than 113,000 in 1960. The whites who remained in the community

ous theaters (including the Central Park, Lawndale, Independence, 20th

mostly lived south of Cermak Road. As the incoming blacks saturated

Century, Circle, and Magnet theaters). North Lawndale was a thriving

residential areas in the community the population rose to an all-time high

commercial and residential neighborhood, with prominent Douglas

of nearly 125,000 in 1960, of whom more than 90 percent were African

Boulevard rated as one of the most desirable residential streets in the

American (9). While the racial transition occurred largely without vio-

city. While most of the institutions have left the neighborhood over the

lence, the rapidity and magnitude of resident turnover meant that many

years, their prominent buildings still shape the landscape of Douglas

of the established community institutions left with the previous residents.

Boulevard.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORY OF NORTH LAWNDALE As the neighborhood changed from primarily Jewish to African-Ameri-

to make repairs. The physical environment continued to deteriorate

can, many new institutions were created to meet the needs of the new

throughout the 1960s, slipping from an older working class neighbor-

residents. The West Side Federation, a coalition of West Side Churches,

hood into slum-like conditions. The more affluent African American

fought for civil rights and grass-roots community development, attracting

families began to leave the neighborhood for communities farther

national attention to Chicago’s West Side including community activists

west, such as Austin and Oak Park, leaving North Lawndale with fewer

and urbanists like Jane Jacobs, Claude Brown, and Richard Hatcher.

resources.

Important organizations to the northern civil rights struggle began in North Lawndale, such as the Contract Buyers League.

In 1968, the community’s deterioration was accelerated by the riots after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination. Substantial portions

A halt to new construction in North Lawndale during the Depression and

of the retail strips along Roosevelt Road, Pulaski, Madison, and 16th

World War II and a growing population precipitated a definitive hous-

Street were destroyed or damaged by fires and looting. Many of the

ing crisis. With little undeveloped land, larger apartment units were

remaining store owners moved away either by choice or due to higher

being subdivided into tiny kitchenette units and rooming houses to meet

insurance premiums. Many banks, savings institutions, and loan and

the demand. The 1939 Works Projects Administration Block Survey

insurance firms declined to provide service to the community. A 1975

found that buildings in North Lawndale were already showing signs of

study by the Metropolitan Area Housing Alliance, a citywide coalition of

unmitigated wear and tear during the Great Depression. According to

community groups, found that North Lawndale was one of the “most

the survey, at least 11% of residential structures were found uninhabit-

severely red-lined” neighborhoods in the city (12).

able or dilapidated on nearly half of the blocks in the east side of North Lawndale (Western Avenue to Kedzie Avenue). According to a report by

North Lawndale’s major employers began leaving the community during

Harold Mayer in 1941, 91% of the residential buildings in North Lawndale

the 1960s. In 1969, International Harvester, located just south of North

were built before 1919 (10). Urban planners and city officials called for

Lawndale, closed its tractor plant, creating a net loss of 3,400 jobs.

the demolition of older, crumbling structures (11). After WWII, predatory

From 1950 to 1970, 75% of the area’s businesses and 25% of its jobs

and discriminatory lending practices often deprived apartment build-

were lost. In 1974, Sears, Roebuck & Co. moved its headquarters to

ing owners of the capital needed for repairs. Since there was a housing

downtown Chicago. The Zenith and Sunbeam factories, located in the

shortage and there were very few vacancies, there was little incentive

vicinity of North Lawndale, closed down in the 1970s as well (13). The

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER ONE economic exodus continued in the 1980s, with the closure of the West-

In 1981, the minority-owned Pyramidwest Development Corporation

ern Electric and Sears complexes. Joblessness and economic decline

financed the construction of the federally-subsidized Lawndale Terrace,

led to building deterioration and demolition which destroyed much of

which is located at Roosevelt Road and Kedzie Avenue. The $7 million

Lawndale’s older housing stock, including many greystones. The neigh-

complex was part of the economic development corporation’s five-year

borhood bottomed out in the 1970s and 1980s. Anyone with the means

plan to bring more than 2,000 new residential units to the community. In

to move out did, creating a neighborhood of last resort. The population

addition to its housing program, Pyramidwest developed two other proj-

fell from a height of 124,937 in 1960 to 47,296 in 1990 (14). In 1985, more

ects: the Lawndale Plaza Shopping Center at Roosevelt and Kedzie, and

than half of the residents in North Lawndale paid their housing costs with

the creation of an industrial park at the former International Harvester

welfare money. Almost half of the housing units existing in 1960 in North

site at 26th Street and California Avenue.

Lawndale had been torn down by 1985 - in 1960 there were 30,243 hous-

In 1986, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago expanded its

ing units, but by 1985 there were only 16,287 housing units left (15).

services in North Lawndale with the support of Ryerson Steel and Mt.

There has been a long history of attempts to address the housing short-

Sinai Hospital. NHS employed a revolving loan fund to help finance

age and deterioration problem in North Lawndale. In 1954, the Chicago

home improvements and home purchases in North Lawndale and other

Housing Authority opened Ogden Courts, a 136-unit public housing

targeted Chicago neighborhoods. The fund provided $1.5 million in

complex in the eastern section of the community. Fourteen years later

financing annually to help home owners or buyers who faced difficulty

Kedvale Square, a privately built development located at 19th and Ked-

accessing capital in the private market. In addition, NHS channeled

vale Streets, was completed. The project was built by the Community

other sources of assistance to North Lawndale residents including loans

Renewal Foundation and financed through the Federal Housing Admin-

through the Chicago Energy Savers Fund for home energy efficiency

istration and business organizations like Sears, Roebuck, and Company.

improvements and “Community Lending” agreements that established

At 19th Street and Kostner Avenue a group of businessmen and a minor-

neighborhood lending programs at a number of local banks. These

ity-owned bank acquired property from the Coca-Cola Company in order

programs were designed to encourage reinvestment and revitalization in

to build Lawndale Manor. Completed in 1971, Lawndale Manor consisted

North Lawndale.

of three buildings containing 192 units for low-income persons.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORY OF NORTH LAWNDALE In the 1990s a large-scale new construction housing development called Homan Square was built on donated land previously used as parking lots for the Sears Roebuck complex. The 54-acre master plan encompassed 600 units of new housing, the redevelopment of existing office space, and the construction of a new community center. With the commercial and community spaces mainly clustered to the east of the site, the project was composed of several housing unit types: flats, row houses, single-family homes, and duplexes. The first phase focused on strictly rental units, but the second phase was mixed-tenured with both rental and owner-occupied housing. Community input was gathered and incorporated into the design. Designed by NagleHartray, the development was meant to reflect Figure 1.3. The Homan Square development was constructed in the 1990s.

the surrounding 2-flat greystones in building height, massing, color, and fenestration. The Steans Family Foundation has also been a major contributor to the redevelopment of North Lawndale. Since 1986, the Foundation has supported efforts to improve the local schools, build and renovate housing, provide job training and bring more jobs into the community. The Steans Family Foundation has given grants and loans to many local community organizations, such as Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Westside Habitat for Humanity and the North Lawndale Employment Network.

Figure 1.4. 600 Block of South Trumball in the Homan Square development.

The new millennium has brought significant changes to North Lawndale’s housing market. As real estate values in other parts of the city continue to rise, the booming housing market in Chicago has begun to spread to the

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER ONE far eastern edge of North Lawndale, around Western Avenue. Upwardly

In 2000, a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district was designated that

mobile households are beginning to move to more affordable areas

includes large parts of North Lawndale. TIF districts allow increases

previously considered undesirable. New luxury condominiums can now

in property taxes to be reinvested in the community to encourage

(2005) be found in the eastern portion of North Lawndale with selling

economic development and revitalization. The district, named the

prices above $300,000. There were several large-scale housing devel-

Midwest TIF, is designated as a “TIF-SBIF-NIF” with three primary

opments under discussion as of mid-2005, including a Royal Imperial

uses: 1) rehabilitation of single family homes, 2) rehabilitation of

Group initiative to redevelop the former Sears Roebuck manufacturing

multi-family rental apartments by investors, and 3) small business

and warehouse buildings that will include a senior assisted living center

matching grants for exterior building improvements. Another alloca-

and new townhomes for a total of 1,200 units. Examination of market

tion from the Midwest TIF has recently been made to Liberty Square,

activity by Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Chicago has

a proposed affordable multi-family housing development of 66 units.

revealed an increase in market activity and existing housing prices as

In the spring of 2004, the City approved $2.3 million in TIF subsidies

well as several examples of speculative buying and potential predatory

for the new development, which is projected to generate $14 million

lending practices.

in new tax proceeds (16).

Despite this new residential development and real estate speculation,

Recent changes in the North Lawndale real estate market com-

there are still signs in 2005 that North Lawndale is experiencing disin-

bined with a 70-year history of disinvestment in the housing stock

vestment. There is only one full service retail bank in the neighborhood,

have created an ideal opportunity for a historic preservation effort.

Community Bank of Lawndale, with only $20 million in capital. While

The Greystone Initiative seeks to preserve affordable housing for

several other banks include North Lawndale in their service area, they

the neighborhood’s current residents while also creating incentives

do not have a visible branch presence in the community. In the past five

for new residents to invest in the neighborhood’s historic housing

years, Harris Bank has become an active lender in North Lawndale and

stock. To succeed in this effort, attention must be paid to preserving

has supported a capital project for new charter school. Harris Bank also

the physical fabric and networks that currently exist, and providing

played a lead role in the creation of the Midwest TIF in Lawndale, which

opportunities for current residents to participate in the strengthening

has created a new source of redevelopment funds.

housing market.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORY OF NORTH LAWNDALE Historic Research Methods and Tools There are several institutional sources for general historical information about the North Lawndale. The documents and maps section of UIC’s Richard J. Daley Library contains a wealth of information for historical building research, including building permits dating back into the 19th century. The Chicago Historical Society (CHS) is also a rich source of information on builders, architects, and past tenants. The CHS provides a comprehensive guide to researching the history of residential structures through its website (17). In addition, the Chicago Public Library holds photographs, artifacts, documents and archives of information in its Lawndale Historical Collection. Other historical references that supplied the City Design Center with inforFigure 1.5. The Atereth Israel temple, currently the New St. John Church.

mation on North Lawndale include: • Chicago Local Community Factbook, Versions – 1930 – 1990 • Encyclopedia of Chicago History • North Lawndale Community Collection at the Special Neighbor hoods Archive section of the Chicago Harold Washington Library • Chicago Tribune historical archives • Jews in Chicago: From Shtetl to Suburb, by Irving Cutler (1996; University of Illinois Press: Urbana) Additional North Lawndale research was completed by the University of Illinois at Chicago, including papers completed as a part of a spring 2004 UIC Art History/Urban Planning graduate seminar on North Lawndale and data collected for the Greystone Initiative by UIC’s City Design Center, which can

Figure 1.6. The lake in Douglas Park.

be found at the Lawndale Heritage website (lawndaleheritage.org).

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER ONE Fire Insurance maps Through the Chicago Historical Society and UIC, the City Design Center obtained copies of the Robinson and Sanborn Fire Insurance maps for North Lawndale for the years 1896, 1923, and 1950, as well as 1909 and 1918 for K-Town. These maps give us snapshots of the built environment of North Lawndale, and provide us with an understanding of the pace and location of development. Fire Insurance maps display road networks, parcel delineation, street and alley widths, as well as building footprints, heights, and placement of porches. These three dates (1896, 1923 and 1950) are crucial to understanding the evolution of housing in North Lawndale before, during, and after the “Greystone-Era”. The 1896 Fire Insurance maps reveal undeveloped areas with a few scattered houses west of Douglas Park. Land had been subdivided and streets and alleys were in place, but very few homes had been constructed. The majority of housing in North Lawndale was east of Douglas Park in 1896, with the most dominant residential housing type being the brick 1 ½ story worker cottage. By 1923, the maps show a very different picture. By this time there were very few open parcels and North Lawndale had fully matured into a densely built city neighborhood. The residential streets were lined on both sides by rows of greystones and “greystone-era” brick 2-flats that were similar to greystones. By 1923 many of the corner lots were dotted with larger multi-family apartment structures. Douglas Boulevard was populated with large apartment buildings and important institutional buildings, like the schools, synagogues, and churches. Roosevelt Road was lined with retail shops. The massive Sears complex and its labyrinth of buildings is also detailed in the 1923 fire insurance maps.

Figure 1.7. Sanborn insurance maps show the 3300 blocks of west Flournoy and Lexington in 1896 (top) and 1923 (bottom). Many of these structures are greystones (Maps courtesy of the Sanborn Mapping Company).

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORY OF NORTH LAWNDALE titled “North Lawndale – A Crowded City Within a City”. Mayer was a staff member of the Chicago Plan Commission. Using the 1939 WPA Chicago Land Use Survey and other observations he described the overcrowding and deterioration that was beginning in North Lawndale. He suggested better maintenance of existing buildings and rezoning to prevent further overcrowding. Another source for North Lawndale’s history from 1900-1960 is Erich Rosenthal’s “This Was North Lawndale” offprint from Jewish Social Studies 1958, which is available in the Special Collections Neighborhood Archives of Chicago Harold Washington Table 1.1. Common greystone architects, builders and owners found in Greystone-Era building permits as a result of the hotspot survey research.

Library. The North Lawndale Neighborhood Collection was originally part of

Neighborhood Collection at the Chicago Public Library

the collections of the West Side Historical Society, which formed at the Legler Branch of the Chicago Public Library in 1930. Upon the dissolu-

The Chicago Harold Washington Public Library has a North Lawn-

tion of the Historical Society in the late 1950s, its records and materials

dale neighborhood collection which contains a wealth of historical

remained at the Legler branch, where they suffered from the mistreat-

photographs, local newspaper articles, personal accounts, and

ment and depredations of unsupervised use and inadequate storage

formal city evaluations. These documents added qualitative details

facilities. To protect the materials, an agreement was struck with the

to the history found in the fire insurance maps and city building

University of Illinois-Chicago Campus for the temporary custody of the

permits (18). Some photographs date back to the 1900s. Several

collection at the University of Illinois. The materials were transferred

photos depict Douglas Boulevard, thoroughfares, and buildings in

to The Chicago Public Library’s Special Collections Division ten years

the neighborhood. Another important document is an evaluation of

later, where they were divided by community area, processed under the

North Lawndale from 1941 completed by the City of Chicago (19). In

auspices of a grant from the Dr. Scholl Foundation, and placed in the

that year, Harold H. Mayer wrote an article in Real Estate Magazine

Neighborhood History Research Collection (20).

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER ONE City Building Permits To understand the number, distribution and context of greystones in



and the Chicago Historical Society)

North Lawndale, the City Design Center undertook a survey of selected blocks with high concentrations of greystones. This “Greystone Hot-



City Design Center researched building permits for over 400 buildings to unearth historical information about the buildings surveyed. The UIC library houses complete files of Chicago building permits from 1872 – 1954 on microfilm, as well as the Lakeside Directory of 1909, a directory that matches current addresses with historical addresses. Construction news and building permit approvals were also reported in local newspapers and building trade magazines. Magazines and newspapers that can be referenced for historical building records include: 

American Contractor (1897-1916 at the Chicago Historical Society)



Landowner (1869-1877 at the Chicago Historical Society)



American Architect & Building News (1876-1938 at the UIC Daley Library, Art Institute of Chicago, and Chicago Public Library)



The Brickbuilder (1892-1916 at the Chicago Historical Society and Chicago Public Library)



Real Estate and Building Journal (1872-1897; 1905-1909 at the Chicago Historical Society)

Inland Architect (1883-1898 at the UIC Daley Library, Art Institute of Chicago, and Chicago Public Library)

spot” survey (see Chapter Two) collected building conditions and characteristics of all parcels throughout the designated blocks. The

The Economist (1888-1946 at the Art Institute of Chicago



Chicago Tribune archives

The first step in researching building permits for a particular structure is to find its address in the Address Index Card File, an index of historic Chicago building permits organized by address. For buildings built before 1909, it is necessary to use the Lakeside Directory for 1909, which matches pre-1909 addresses to those currently used. The Address Index Card File provides the ledger number, book number, and the section of the city in which the address can be found. The book number correlates loosely to the year of the permit. Index Address Card and ledger books from 1872 to 1955 are recorded on microfilm at UIC’s Daley Library Documents and Map Department. The building permits list the date of the building permit, the owner, the builder, and, occasionally, notes about the type of permit and the estimated cost of the permitted construction activities. City Directory Two kinds of city directories can be used to gather historical information about buildings and their inhabitants. First, the alphabetical directories list businesses and people alphabetically. Alphabetical

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORY OF NORTH LAWNDALE city directories were published from 1839-1917, 1923, and 1928-9,

Lawndale was a working-class community in the early 20th century and

while telephone directories have been published every year since

that its predominant housing stock – the greystone – was built for its

1883. Reverse directories are listed by address, not name. They are

large working class population.

very useful for researching the previous residents of a specific building. Some reverse directories list the both the inhabitant and his occupation. Reverse directories were not published with the same frequency as telephone directories (21).

WPA Block Survey The WPA Block Survey (22) offered another snapshot of North Lawndale’s buildings and people. The Survey, completed in 1939 by the Works Projects Administration under the direction of the Chicago Plan

City directories were available through the Chicago Historical Soci-

Commission, provided information aggregated to the block level. The

ety. The City Design Center looked at the reverse city directory for

survey demonstrated that as early as 1939 buildings in North Lawndale

1917. The city directories provided tenants and their occupations for a

were beginning to age and needed rehabilitation. The following infor-

building at a given address for a specific year. The City Design Center

mation was available through the survey:

looked at every fifth address on each block surveyed in the Greystone

• Average monthly rentals of all dwelling units

Hotspot Survey. Since most of the housing on these blocks were 2

• Total number of dwelling units

to 3-flats, there were numerous listings and occupations per address.

• Percent of all residential structures built in 1919 or before

In total, the City Design Center examined 82 of the 436 Greystone

• Percent of owner-occupied dwelling units

Hotspot Survey addresses (see Chapter Two) and compiled data for

• Total number of business/commercial structures

over 196 tenants and their occupations. Of the 196 tenants, over 138

• Percent of non-white households

(70.4%) held construction or other blue-collar jobs. A large contingent

• Percent of dwelling units without a toilet or bath

of construction and factory workers were most likely employed by large industrial plants throughout the community. 26 (13.2%) of the tenants held professional jobs (e.g. architects, engineers, or managers) and 15 (7.65%) tenants were involved in sales. 10 tenants were categorized as “other”, while 7 tenants had no occupational information provided. The city directory information supports the popular assertion that North

Newspaper & magazine archives Newspaper archives and architecture and building magazines provided information about greystone architects and owners. The best source for information during the greystone era was American Contractor Magazine, which provided the names for architects for 236 buildings

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER ONE and owners for 283 buildings examined in the hotspot survey. Other

in North Lawndale during which greystones were built, they were also

relevant magazines in print during the first three decades of the 20th

not the only housing product available to the middle class. At the same

century included Inland Architect, The Economist, American Architect

time, and sometimes by the same builder, identical brick 2- and 3-flats

& Building News. The McMillan Encyclopedia of Architects was also

were built without limestone facing. They generally had the same floor

cross-referenced to find information regarding greystone architects,

plan and design, the only substantial difference being a lack of limestone

although none were well-known enough to be mentioned. While fame

on the front facade.

eluded the architects of North Lawndale’s greystones, many had very productive careers. The most prolific architect in North Lawndale during the greystone era was Perley Hale, who collaborated on the design of 39 greystones in North Lawndale. A search of the Chicago Tribune archives showed 177 articles that mention Hale, an architect who designed buildings throughout Chicago in the 1890s. The next prolific architect was T.J. Reynertson, who collaborated on 16 buildings in North Lawndale. Only six architects were known to have designed 10 or more buildings. Typically, a master builder and/or architect did not build entire blocks of greystones in North Lawndale. Instead, a number of small owners and builders created the blocks piecemeal, indicating that the stylistic uniformity of greystones reflected the styles and tastes of the time rather than the whims of a single developer. Summary of Findings from Historical Building Research

After collecting the historical information about the buildings surveyed in the “Greystone Hotspot” survey, the City Design Center drew the following conclusions: (A) There were four distinctive periods of residential housing development, each with its own characteristic housing type, in North Lawndale. First, Lawndale was dotted by large suburban homes and farmhouses built when the area was called Crawford and during the early years of Millard & Decker’s subdivision and reinvention of the area as Lawndale. The dominant middle-class housing immediately prior to the Greystone era was the worker’s cottage, which comprised a second period of housing development in the 1870s in the eastern portion of North Lawndale. The Greystone Era, the third period, started around 1890 and continued until around 1915. While some larger single family greystone homes were constructed, the majority of greystones built during this period were

Before discussing the conclusions of the historical research, it is impor-

2 and 3-flat structures. Greystones were similar to the preceding work-

tant to provide a definition of a “greystone” building. “Greystones”,

er’s cottages in that the building was usually divided into a residence for

commonly 2- or 3-flats throughout North Lawndale, are brick buildings

the owner’s family with an additional unit rented out for supplemental

with a limestone façade. While there was a relatively narrow time period

income. Most of North Lawndale was developed during this time period.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORY OF NORTH LAWNDALE The following two decades began the fourth period of housing develop-

(D) Greystones were built by individual owners, builders, and architects.

ment when brick 2-flat and larger brick apartment complexes were built

There was no exclusive developer or designer of greystones in North

on the larger parcels of land, corners, and any remaining vacant lots. By

Lawndale. The greystone’s ubiquitous use throughout the first two

the 1930s, most of North Lawndale had been built out.

decades of the 20th century was likely a result of economics, devel-

(B) 99% of all greystones examined in the hotspot survey that had a

opers’ tastes, material availability and cost, as well as the needs and

building permit were built between 1890 and 1915. This shows a clearly

desires of North Lawndale’s residents.

defined time period, or Greystone Era, when greystones dominated

Greystone Architectural Styles

residential housing development. The Greystone Era coincides with

While the greystones of North Lawndale were all built during a 25-year

Chicago population and building boom of the first two decades of the

time period and utilized common design elements such as limestone

20th Century. As a result, a great number of the residential structures in

façades, there were also many architectural elements that changed over

North Lawndale, with a heavy concentration between Douglas Park and

time, mirroring the broader changes in the architectural styles of Ameri-

Pulaski Road, were developed as greystones.

can housing. Early North Lawndale greystones constructed between

1890 and 1905 (Figure 1.8) had Romanesque architectural features,

working class of quite modest means and a fairly affluent middle class,

utilizing rusticated limestone stone in the façade. The front porches

which was concentrated in the more expensive properties along the park

and windows were punctuated with arches. These Romanesque build-

and boulevards. According to city directories, personal accounts, and

ings were commonly adorned with Romanesque pediments, and other

government surveys, much of the neighborhood was a working-class

Romanesque features including Gothic pediments and robust cornices.

neighborhood employing many people in the factories that surrounded

Brick 2-flats built at this time without the upgraded limestone facing

the community. These multifamily greystones differed from the larger

used red brick, or occasionally sandstone, in the construction of the

greystone “mansions” built elsewhere in Chicago, such as on the Near

exterior walls.

West Side along Washington and Warren Boulevards, along Drexel and

A shift in style from Romanesque to Neo-Classical features occurred

Grand (now King) Boulevards on the South Side and along the lakefront,

gradually from 1890 to 1905, with buildings sometimes employing ele-

and on Logan and Humboldt Boulevards on the North Side.

ments of both styles. The façades of Neo-Classical greystones typically

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER ONE had smooth limestone blocks rather than the rustications of their

precursors. Pediments and cornices utilized classical elements. Rounded windows were replaced with bay and Palladian windows, while archways were replaced with classical columns. Romanesque features disappeared entirely after 1905 and the New-Classical style dominated the rest of the greystone era. Later brick-faced buildings of the Greystone Era utilized tawny brick rather than red brick in construction reflecting a conscious recollection of Roman architectural precedents. Such elements may also be seen in contemporary buildings of the time by Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan. Neo-Classical design dominated for the final ten years (1905 -1915) of the greystone era.

Figure 1.8. Romanesque greystone (3820 West Polk) constructed in about 1896.

Figure 1.9. Neo-Classical greystones (3359 West Flournoy) constructed in 1910.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORY OF NORTH LAWNDALE Endnotes: (1) Priddy, Gladys. 1954. “Negro Ratio Grows Rapidly in North Lawndale” Chicago Daily Tribune. 19 Dec., SW14. (2) Wilson, William Julius. 1996. When Work Disappears. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. (3) Wilson 1996. (4) A good source for 20th Century demographic and narrative history for Chicago’s community areas, including North Lawndale, is the decennial editions of the Local Community Fact Book of Chicago. Each edition is published after the US Census with updated demographic and historical data. The citations are as follows: Wirth, Louis and Margaret Furez, eds. 1938. Local Community Fact Book. Chicago: Chicago Recreation Commmission. Wirth, Louis and Eleanor H. Bernert, eds. 1949. Local Community Fact Book of Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Hauser, Philip M. and Evelyn M. Kitagawa, eds. 1953. Local Community Fact Book for Chicago, 1950. Chicago: Chicago Community Inventory, University of Chicago. Kitagawa, Evelyn M. and Karl E. Taeuber, eds. 1963. Local Community Fact Book : Chicago Metropolitan Area, 1960. Chicago: Chicago Community Inventory, University of Chicago. Chicago Fact Book Consortium. 1984. Local Community Fact Book, Chicago Metropolitan Area: Based on the 1970 and 1980 Censuses. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. Chicago Fact Book Consortium. 1995. Local Community Fact Book, Chicago Metropolitan Area, 1990. Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago. (5) Local Community Fact Book of Chicago (6) Local Community Fact Book of Chicago. (7) Local Community Fact Book of Chicago. (8) Local Community Fact Book of Chicago. (9) Seligman, Amanda. 2004. “North Lawndale” Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago: Chicago Historical Society. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/ (10) McDowell, Winston. 1999. “North Lawndale Community Information” Chicago Imagebase website. Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago College of Architecture and the Arts. http://tigger.uic.edu/depts/ahaa/imagebase/ (11) Mayer, Harold. 1941 “North Lawndale? A Crowded City Within a City”. Real Estate Magazine. 15 Nov. This article can be found in the North Lawndale Community Records, 1872-1956, Series 5 - Historical Sketches. Chicago Harold Washington Public Library: Neighborhood History Research Collection. (12) Mayer 1941.

(13) Ziemba, Stanley. 1985. “Community’s Housing in a State of Collapse” Chicago Tribune. 19 Nov. (14) Local Community Fact Book of Chicago. (15) Seligman 2004. (16) Almada, Jeanette. 2004. “City to Aid New North Lawndale Rentals” Chicago Tribune. 2 May. (17) Commission on Chicago Landmarks. 2003. Your House Has A History: A Step-by-Step Guide to Researching Your Property. City of Chicago: Department of Planning and Development. http://www.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/. (18) A list of documents in the North Lawndale Neighborhood Archives can be found at City of Chicago Harold Washington Library website – special collections section. A list of the documents available in the archives can be found at: http://www.chipublib.org/008subject/012special/nlcc.html. (19) Mayer 1941. (20) These records are available at the Chicago Harold Washington Public Library – Neighborhood History Research Collection: North Lawndale Community Records, 1872-1956. (21) Commission on Chicago Landmarks. 2003. (22) Volume 2 of the Report of the Chicago Land Use Survey – 1939 WPA Block Survey for North Lawndale is available online at UIC’s Imagebase website: http://tigger.uic.edu/depts/ahaa/imagebase/ca/nl/index.html.

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER TWO

Greystone Geography and Attributes Brent D. Ryan and Ryan Siegel The following chapter summarizes the research methods and results of the City Design Center’s characterization of the current built environment of North Lawndale. The chapter highlights findings from the data collected and provides tables and maps to answer the three remaining research questions described in the introduction. 1. What is the distribution of greystones in North Lawndale? 2. How many greystones are there in North Lawndale? 3. What are the physical characteristics of greystones in North Lawndale? Research Methods and Datasets Greystone Hotspot Survey The first step in researching North Lawndale’s greystones was to gather data on typical greystones by examining sample areas with large numbers of greystones. Bill Neuendorf, a student in the Spring 2004 UIC

Figure 2.1 Greystone Hotspot Blocks surveyed. Hotspots had a high concentration and variety of greystones.

seminar on Lawndale, and Charles Leeks, a North Lawndale resident and member of the Greystone Steering Team, identified ten “greystone hotspot” blocks containing a high concentration of greystone buildings. The City Design Center conducted a field survey of these blocks, observing the exterior conditions of blocks and buildings from public streets. Data was recorded for every parcel on the block regardless of structure type.

Table 2.1 A total of 404 hotspot parcels were surveyed, 61% of which were occupied by greystones.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

GREYSTONE GEOGRAPHY AND ATTRIBUTES The following characteristics were collected by the City Design Center: •

Address

•

Boarded up or not boarded up status

•

Condition – based on an observation of the exterior of the building. Buildings were given one of five ratings: 

Excellent: no signs of deterioration, no repairs needed, evidence of extensive maintenance



Good: no signs of serious deterioration, evidence of some maintenance, in need of small repairs (e.g. window paint, fencing upgrades)



Fair: some signs of deterioration and damage, but structural integrity appeared acceptable



Poor: extensive deterioration or evidence that structural integrity had been compromised (foundation was cracking, porch looked unsound, etc.)



Unlivable: vacant and uninhabited

•

Number of dwelling units: based on number of doorbells/ doors and/or asking residents, if available

•

Structure Type: brick construction, greystone (i.e. limestone façade), frame with woodlap, or frame with siding

•

Occupancy: vacant lot, open and vacant, vacant on the ground floor, partially occupied, occupied (based on exterior observations and discussion with residents, if possible)

• Figure 2.2. Three varieties of greystones: a typical two-flat (3323 W. Flournoy, 1910), a mansion (2102 S. Avers, 1892), and a “shoebox” (4031 W. Cullerton, 1906).

Exterior photos of sample typical buildings and street walls of multiple greystones

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER TWO Over 400 parcels in the greystone hotspots were catalogued. Although the selected blocks were chosen for their variety of greystones, many consistent features of greystones were found in the data collected. Of the buildings surveyed, 61% (220) were “greystones,” i.e. buildings of brick construction with a greystone front. The next most common structure type was brick with a brick front (31% of structures). There were very few frame buildings and a low incidence of vacant lots along the surveyed blocks. Larger brick apartment buildings were sometimes found at the corners of hotspot blocks. According to historic building permits and county tax assessor information, these larger apartment buildings were generally built in the late or post-greystone era (after 1915). Most of the buildings on block interiors were 2-flats on standard 25-by-125 foot Chicago lots. Only 2.7% of the lots surveyed contained

Figure 2.3 A “greystone hotspot” block (3300 block of W Flournoy), the building type is projected over a Sanborn fire insurance map. The block is primarily greystones, with a few brick 2-flats interspersed and a newer apartment building at the corner. This block appears to reflect a once-typical block pattern in North Lawndale and was intact in 2005. (Sanborn map courtesy of the Sanborn Mapping Company).

buildings with more than four residential units. The greystones surveyed were almost exclusively one- to four-unit buildings. 20% (44) of the greystones were single-family structures and 75% (166) were two to three unit buildings. The typical greystone found in the survey was a two-story detached residential building with a flat, gently back-sloping roof and a limestone front façade, masonry construction and a front stair and porch. The average ground floor square footage of this type ranged from 1200 to 1800 square feet. The size and style of greystones also could vary considerably (Figure 2.2). For example the 2100 block of South Avers had two “mansion” greystones with large lots, pitched roofs, substantially larger floor areas,

Figure 2.4 Results of building permit research for the hotspot survey buildings, showing building type and number in 5 year increments, 1890-1929.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

GREYSTONE GEOGRAPHY AND ATTRIBUTES and additional architectural details. These structures were clearly designed as single-family residences. In contrast, the 4000 block of West Cullerton Avenue, in the southwestern portion of North Lawndale (K-town), was lined with one-story “shoebox” greystones. Although their floor areas were typically smaller, the architectural details and material treatments were similar to the more common 2-flat greystone seen throughout the hotspots. The City Design Center hotspot survey indicated that greystones were typically kept in better condition than other structure types. 27% of the greystones were in “excellent” condition, compared to only 13% of brick structures. Equally notable was a lack of “poor-rated” greystones—only four out of the 220 greystones surveyed (2%) were rated in “poor” condition. Since the blocks surveyed were chosen for the integrity of their Figure 2.5 Contrasting greystones and brick 2-flats: 3756 West Cermak, 1908 (left) and 3743 W. Cermak, 1912 (right). Built only a few years apart, these structures appear to differ only in their facing materials (greystone vs. brick).

housing stock, this high maintenance level was not unexpected. An important finding of the survey was the similarity of brick and greystone 2-flat structures. On some blocks, brick 2-flats were interspersed with or adjacent to greystones (Figure 2.3). In other cases a block might have greystones on one side of the street and brick 2-flats on the other. Greystones and brick 2-flats shared the same exterior architectural features and building construction except for the limestone facing of greystones. Often the brick 2-flats appeared to mirror the footprints of adjacent greystones, and building permit research revealed that brick 2-flats were often built during the same time period as the

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER TWO greystones and were sometimes even built by the same builder and

tures were eligible, the presence of TIF funding did not explain the differ-

architect.

ence in conditions found between the greystones and the other housing

The similarity of these two housing types emphasized the importance for the Greystone Initiative to clearly define what constituted a greystone. Any operating definition would have to be easily identifiable

types.

Building conditions were judged only based on the exterior of

the building, so interior conditions could not be verified and may not have been consistent with the observed exterior conditions.

and verifiable as well as accurately reflect the diversity of this unique

NIPC Full Circle Project

historical housing type.

While the City Design Center hotspot survey provided initial insight into

The sample buildings chosen for the greystone hotspot survey were not

the greystones in North Lawndale, a more comprehensive measurement

representative of all greystones in North Lawndale, but they did commu-

of the built environment in North Lawndale was necessary. Since North

nicate the condition and characteristics of the greatest concentrations

Lawndale has nearly 10,000 parcels, the City Design Center used data

of greystone homes. The hotspots’ non-random sample of parcels in

from an ongoing public policy research project, the Full Circle Project to

North Lawndale should not be construed as a representation of build-

provide additional data on the North Lawndale built environment at this

ing conditions in the neighborhood overall: a complete survey of North

more comprehensive scale.

Lawndale would likely produce a somewhat different overall distribution

The Full Circle project (www.chicagoareahousing.org/FC/), coordinated

of greystone buildings. It should also be noted that all of the hotspot

by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC), is intended to

blocks were on residential side streets. Major thoroughfares with larger

empower local residents and community-based organizations to plan the

buildings and a different built environment, such as Douglas Boulevard,

future development of their neighborhoods. Community-based organiza-

were not surveyed.

tions and local residents participate together in creating detailed maps

Several of the blocks surveyed had active block clubs that had recently

of their neighborhoods and in visioning future development. Web-based

received exterior façade improvement funds from North Lawndale’s Tax

communication and information technologies enable the data-gathering

Increment Financing (TIF) program, which may have also contributed to

and visioning phases. This neighborhood planning effort is designed to

the relatively good conditions of these blocks. However, since all struc-

inform future neighborhood development processes.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

GREYSTONE GEOGRAPHY AND ATTRIBUTES The first phase of the Full Circle project, initiated in October 2003, was to inventory current assets of selected neighborhoods throughout Chicago, one of which was North Lawndale. NIPC’s partner on the



Lawndale project, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), created

Condition of building – (same as the Greystone Hotspot Survey)

a detailed inventory of land use, housing, transportation, jobs, culture,



Boarded up or Not boarded up status

recreation, natural resources and historic points, which was compiled



Vacancy information

with the help of neighborhood partners and volunteers.



Roof type



Ownership information

Given existing time and resource constraints, the City Design Center chose not to conduct a complete land use survey of North Lawndale.

As of June 2005, 51% of the lots in North Lawndale had been cataloged

Instead, the CDC partnered with two organizations involved in the Full

through the Full Circle project. This initial set of data was used to create

Circle zoning and mapping process in North Lawndale. NIPC and MPC

the comprehensive North Lawndale Geographic Information System

added several Full Circle survey questions that were specific to the

described in the next section. In December of 2005, MPC provided the

needs of the Greystone Initiative.

City Design Center with an update which cataloged 77% of all North

The full list of potential data collected by the Full Circle partners for each parcel encompassed over 50 questions, ranging from building

Lawndale properties. This updated data was used to characterize and estimate the total number of greystones in North Lawndale.

conditions and architecture, to detailed land use and assessed value.

The Full Circle data had some limitations. While some training was

For its research purposes, the City Design Center collected the follow-

given to community volunteers, answers requiring subjective decisions,

ing information:

such as the condition of building, varied from volunteer to volunteer. In addition, many logged parcels had incomplete or missing data. To



Address



Structure Type – (Brick, Greystone, Frame with stucco, Frame with other, Frame with woodlap, Other structure)



Number of Housing Units

compensate for incomplete data, the City Design Center extrapolated data from those parcels with completed questionnaires to project a total number and overall condition of greystones in North Lawndale.

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER TWO Parcel Shape File Full Circle data was mapped to a GIS shape file in ArcGIS 9.0. This GIS file contained all the parcels in North Lawndale and was kindly provided to the City Design Center by the Civic Committee. Parcel Identification Numbers (PINs) were also provided with the parcel shape files. The shape file permitted spatial analysis and geographical visualization of the Full Circle data. Tax Assessor Data In order to map the data collected by the Greystone Hotspot Survey and the Full Circle Data to the parcel shape file, a data set was required to match the addresses of the field survey data with the PINs of the parcel shape file. The Cook County Tax Assessor’s office maintains a database with both the address and PIN for all parcels in the county. UIC’s Center for Urban Economic Development (CUED) kindly contributed a data set containing Cook County Tax Assessor information to the City Design Center. The Tax Assessor’s information also provided a more complete picture of owner occupancy. The Assessor information included the “mail to” address for tax bills. Therefore, the City Design Center assumed that any building whose address matched the “mail to” address of the tax bill was an owner-occupied residence. It is important to note that this measure may have undercounted owner-occupancy because owners

Figure 2.6 Of the 4,918 parcels surveyed by Full Circle by June 2005, the City Design Center was able to match 84% to assessor data. Greystone distribution in North Lawndale was generated from this matched set.

may have their tax bill sent to another address.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

GREYSTONE GEOGRAPHY AND ATTRIBUTES Summary of Analysis Unified North Lawndale Geographic Information System

Greystone Numbers

The City Design Center matched the June 2005 Full Circle survey data

The more complete Full Circle Data that MPC supplied to the City

entries to corresponding parcel shape layers, using the Tax Assessor

Design Center in December of 2005 included structure information for

“bridge file” to map addresses to PINs. There was significant, but not

7,013 parcels in North Lawndale. The data suggest that 27.6% of all

total, overlap between the three data sources. Figure 2.4 shows a Venn

buildings in North Lawndale are greystones, indicating that there are an

Diagram of the degree of overlap of the data sets.

estimated 1,714 greystone buildings in the community.

In 2003, the Civic Committee commissioned URS-TPAP to create a

The total number of greystone buildings in North Lawndale was calcu-

parcel shape file which contained 22,442 records. This data set was

lated by applying the ratio of greystones found in the Full Circle survey

significantly larger than the CUED Tax Assessor data set because it

to the unsurveyed parcels in North Lawndale and adding the two figures

encompassed a slightly larger geography, including some parcels out-

(see Tables 2.2-2.4). The Full Circle data included information about

side of North Lawndale’s boundaries. The CUED Tax Assessor data set

the type of structure (including no structure, or a vacant lot) for 7,013

included PINs in Census Tracts in the North Lawndale Chicago Com-

parcels. 1,253 of these structures were recorded as greystones. Of the

munity Area, as well as three other Census Tracts that covered the area

9,591 parcels in North Lawndale, 7,013 had a recorded structure type,

between the north edge of North Lawndale and Interstate 290. This area

and there is currently no information about what type of structure, if any,

was included because it is commonly considered to be part of the North

can be found on the remaining 2,578 parcels. Since 17.9% (or 1,253)

Lawndale neighborhood. 95% of the CUED PINs matched the Civic

of logged parcels in the survey were greystones, the City Design Center

Committee’s parcel data set. The slight mismatch was probably due to

assumed that if the uncataloged parcels had similar ratio of greystones,

additional small differences in geography between the data sets.

then 17.9% (or 461) of those 2,578 parcels would also be greystones.

84% of the Full Circle addresses were matchable to the CUED “bridge

Adding the two figures (1,253 and 461) provides a total estimate of

file.” Addresses were converted into a common format across all data

1,714 greystone buildings in North Lawndale.

sources. However, only 43% of the CUED parcels matched the Full Circle data because the Full Circle survey was incomplete as of June 2005.

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER TWO

Figure 2.7 Distribution of parcels surveyed by Full Circle as of June 2005.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

GREYSTONE GEOGRAPHY AND ATTRIBUTES

Figure 2.8 Distribution of greystones as of June 2005. Note high concentrations of greystones in central Lawndale, north of Ogden Avenue.

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER TWO Greystone Distribution The geographic distribution of greystones surveyed as of June 2005 by the Full Circle project is shown in Figures 2.7 and 2.8. Within North Lawndale the City Design Center’s greystone geography research revealed three different eras of worker housing distributed differently across the region. The eastern portion of North Lawndale east of Douglas Park had a limited number of greystone buildings. The majority of residential structures east of Douglas Park were brick structures, which were some of the oldest buildings in North Lawndale. As noted in Chapter 1, this area was developed around the 1870s and 1880s, before the advent of greystone housing. Workers’ cottages, an older version of middle class housing, were scattered throughout this area.

Table 2.2 The December 2005 MPC Full Circle survey found 1253 greystones in North Lawndale. This indicates that 27.6% of all buildings in North Lawndale are greystones.

The largest concentration of greystone structures in North Lawndale was found between Kedzie Avenue and Pulaski Road, south of Taylor Street and North of Ogden Avenue. This area was developed during the population boom decades of the 1890s, 1900s, and 1910s. Housing was built quickly to keep pace with rapid population growth. Much of the housing was faced with readily available limestone and was constructed in dense clusters with similar features and footprints. There were some blocks where 10 to 15 greystones in a row were found. However, the majority of original, intact blocks had greystones interspersed with brick apartment buildings and other smaller brick 2 and 3 flat structures of the greystone era. Well preserved blocks had fewer vacant lots and consequently more greystones. It logically followed that

Table 2.3 A total number of 1,714 greystones was estimated for North Lawndale.

blocks dominated by intact greystone buildings had few vacant lots compared to other blocks throughout the neighborhood.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

GREYSTONE GEOGRAPHY AND ATTRIBUTES

Figure 2.9 East Lawndale was built up before the greystone era and contains brick worker’s cottages instead of greystones. 1440 S. Rockwell (left) and the 2600 block of west 15th Street (right).

Table 2.4 If the same percentage (27.6%) of currently vacant lots were once greystones, then as many as 604 greystones may have been demolished as of December 2005.

West of Pulaski Road, a transition from greystones to brick 2-flats was found. For example the 4100 block of 21st Street was lined with greystones but the 4200 block was lined with brick 2-flats constructed a decade later (see Figure 2.3). The western portion of North Lawndale was built out just after the extension of the Douglas Park

Table 2.5 66.8% of all greystones are 2-flats, while only 7.5% of greystones are single-family homes. Only 6.3% of greystones have more than 3 units.

elevated train line to Cicero Avenue in 1907, making it among the younger parts of the North Lawndale community. Because limestone façades were used less frequently in buildings of the 1910s and almost completely disappeared in the 1920s, very few greystones were found in the western part of North Lawndale. In the far western part of North Lawndale, greystones appeared to be common only in “K-Town”, north of Cermak Road.

Table 2.6 Greystones had the best average condition (good to excellent) of all structure types in North Lawndale.

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER TWO

Other Greystone Characteristics The matched set of data that included the June 2005 Full Circle survey allowed the City Design Center to compare data sets. The data suggested that greystones had a high owner occupancy rate for the neighborhood, at 67% of all greystones. The data also indicated that owner-occupied buildings were in better condition than rental buildings. 76% of owner occupied buildings were rated either “excellent” or “good” compared to only 62% of rental properties. Unfortunately, 19% of the rental properties surveyed through the Full Circle project were rated “unlivable,” yet many were inhabited.

Table 2.7 Greystones also had the highest owner occupancy rate of surveyed structures in North Lawndale, according the June 2005 Full Circle and Tax Assessor data.

Conclusions The City Design Center’s greystone research provides the first-ever

The December 2005 Full Circle data provided additional information

comprehensive portrait of greystone distribution in North Lawndale.

about greystone characteristics (see Tables 2.5 and 2.6). Accord-

Greystones are found throughout North Lawndale and are an integral

ing to this data 66.8% of greystones are 2-flat buildings, and 93.8% of the greystones in North Lawndale have fewer than 5 residential units. Greystones were also found to be in better condition than other structures. 78.3% of greystones were given a rating of “excellent” or “good” by the Full Circle team, as opposed to 70.8% of brick, and 63.2% of frame structures. Greystones also had a low vacancy rate at approximately 5.8% as opposed to the 6.4% vacancy rate among brick buildings.

part of the region’s built environment. Given the high number, high architectural quality and wide distribution of greystones in North Lawndale, the potential impact of the Greystone Initiative is significant. The Greystone Initiative clearly has the potential to positively affect much of North Lawndale. With increased market interest in the neighborhood’s housing, the large numbers of expiring subsidized housing units, and the deteriorated condition of other building types, the Greystone Initiative also has the potential to be a stabilizing force in the neighborhood for economic development, the preservation of affordable housing and the strengthening of community pride in this important Chicago neighborhood.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

CHAPTER THREE

Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® - Planning Phase To this end, the Initiative seeks to promote the greystone as a means

Susanne Schnell

to further cultivate Lawndale’s image as a community with a unique Background and Context

historic and cultural legacy. Initially launched in North Lawndale,

The Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® is one of several revitalization

the Greystone Initiative also seeks to encourage improvements and

and development priorities for North Lawndale that seek to enhance a

enhancements to preserve greystones for future generations. The Initia-

collective sense of community pride among residents. The Greystone

tive will ultimately expand across what may become known as the City’s

Initiative aims to use one of Chicago’s greatest architectural and historic

“Greystone Belt,” an analogue to the better-known “Bungalow Belt” of

assets – its historic greystones – to encourage stewardship and rein-

the outer areas of Chicago.

vestment, both in North Lawndale and the city’s older central neighbor-

Two collaborative community-based planning groups grew out of this

hoods. The guiding principle underlying the Greystone Initiative was

broad vision for instilling greater pride of place and an appreciation of

first articulated by Charles Leeks, Director of the North Lawndale office

North Lawndale’s unique story. The first of these groups was formed in

of Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago. Leeks recognized that

the Fall of 2003 in conjunction with a year-long planning process coor-

residents who are informed by a deeper appreciation of Lawndale’s

dinated by the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago, a

past will become stewards who are more actively engaged in claiming

nonprofit business organization. The Civic Committee’s planning col-

ownership of the community and defining its future. Culture, history

laborative was aimed at supporting and enhancing local organizations’

and architectural assets can be powerful tools in the hands of Lawn-

ongoing redevelopment activities and more effectively integrating each

dale residents, many of whom are increasingly aware of imminent

organization’s long-range development goals into a comprehensive

changes in their community. Most notable among these changes is the

plan. The resulting community growth plan, which reflected the collec-

rapid growth of Lawndale’s housing market, which is now beginning to

tive thinking of the participating community partners, recommended a

respond to increased demand from homebuyers in nearby communi-

number of activities focused on retail and mixed-income housing devel-

ties for quality housing stock, as well as new condominiums and town

opment, including the creation of a new Tax Increment Financing (TIF)

homes.

district, and historic heritage initiatives.

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER THREE

Figure 3.1 Historic Lawndale: preservation, design and image-building strategies.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORIC GREYSTONE INITIATIVE PLANNING PHASE Civic Committee staff convened leading community organizations that

In addition to several Lawndale community organizations, members of

represented a broad constituency of local residents and businesses

the advisory group included the Chicago Historical Society, Landmarks

– Lawndale Business and Local Development Corporation, Neighbor-

Preservation Council of Illinois, Chicago Public Library, National Trust

hood Housing Services of Chicago, H.I.C.A. Corporation, Lawndale

for Historic Preservation, and the City Design Center. To facilitate the

Christian Development Corporation, Steans Family Foundation, and the

planning dialogue that took place over several months, members of the

Homan Square Community Center Foundation. Each of these partner

group were asked to draw from their expertise in historic preservation

organizations had a long history working in Lawndale and each brought

and urban design and planning to help community partners identify a

its own core values about Lawndale’s growth and development to the

range of approaches that were aligned with their goals. (See Appendix

planning process. Chief among them was the desire that existing resi-

A for Advisory Group members.)

dents not only play a significant role in shaping revitalization plans, but also that they benefit from these opportunities. Community partners rec-

Inventory of Assets – Graduate Seminar at UIC

ognized that the gentrification of Lawndale would have both helpful and

The Advisory Group began by asking two key questions:

harmful effects. While they wanted Lawndale to new attract develop-



How can the community use historic heritage as an economic

ment and new residents who would contribute to the economic health

revitalization tool – both to help build a sense of community and to

and vitality of the neighborhood, they expressed concern that a wave of

project a more positive image to outsiders?

new high-end housing might eventually push some of Lawndale’s more vulnerable renter households out of the market.



Which strategies are most likely to foster community development, achieve maximum visibility and economic benefit?

The Civic Committee formed four advisory groups that focused on development priorities identified by its partners. One of these groups,

The group recognized that the first step was to inventory the communi-

the Historic Heritage Advisory Group, was formed out of a collective

ty’s cultural and architectural assets. To support this recommendation,

desire to link Lawndale’s historic, cultural and architectural assets to

Brent Ryan, Co-Director of the City Design Center and Assistant Profes-

the broader goals of community revitalization and heritage tourism.

sor of Urban Planning and Policy, proposed a university-level course

Charles Leeks and Kristen Dean were founding members whose early

that would focus on documenting Lawndale’s architectural assets as

thinking included the idea of a historic heritage museum and cultural

well as its social and multi-cultural history.

facility in North Lawndale.

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER THREE The result was an interdisciplinary graduate seminar at UIC focused on

revitalization strategy. Drawing from these collective views, the Advisory

North Lawndale taught during the Spring of 2004. Robert Bruegmann,

Group drafted core guiding principles that emphasize the important link

Professor and Chair of the Department of Art History, Professor Brent

between promoting the community’s historic heritage and encouraging

Ryan, and Jim Peters, Director of Planning at the Landmarks Preserva-

civic engagement among residents who help to shape the community’s

tion Council of Illinois, developed and co-taught the seminar. It was

future direction. The Advisory Group then worked to draft specific

supported by three local foundations – Richard H. Driehaus Founda-

recommendations for historic heritage initiatives that were presented

tion, Woods Fund of Chicago and Polk Bros. Foundation. The resulting

to all members of the planning collaborative. The community partners

student research on North Lawndale can be found at the Lawndale

supported these ideas and agreed to incorporate the historic heritage

Heritage website (www.lawndaleheritage.org).

recommendations into a broader revitalization strategy for North Lawn-

As a final project, seminar students presented their research and ideas for promoting Lawndale’s historic heritage in a symposium held for community partners and members of the Historic Heritage Advisory Group. Students recognized the important linkages between Lawndale’s history and the community building process. Their ideas included hold-

dale. These strategic growth recommendations and a summary of the community planning process are presented in the Civic Committee’s “North Lawndale Planning Initiative” report, completed in January 2005. Guiding Principles about North Lawndale’s Historic Heritage •

Rebranding North Lawndale as a historic community will

ing community forums to highlight special historical and cultural events,

change its image to the outside world and differentiate it

and incorporating Lawndale’s history into the local school curriculum.

from other Chicago communities with similar redevelop-

Students were interested in a variety of ways to engage residents and

ment opportunities and challenges.

high school students in documenting their own history. They also sug-

• Promoting North Lawndale’s image as a historically signifi-

gested creating a forerunner to a historical society that would house

cant community can support and enhance housing and

Lawndale’s neighborhood archive, perhaps in partnership with the local

retail redevelopment strategies.

branch of the public library.

• Focusing on Historic heritage can be a potent and cost-

Among community partners, advisors and students alike, there was strong agreement that North Lawndale’s assets and image, including preservation, could inform broader thinking about the community’s

effective way to add incalculable value as a community evaluates its vision and priorities for future growth. • Implementing an architectural preservation and historic

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORIC GREYSTONE INITIATIVE PLANNING PHASE heritage initiative can generate multiple positive benefits;

including generate greater interest among resident stewards and other stakeholders in preserving and revitalizing

tions o

their community and attracting new residents who have overlooked Lawndale’s assets and growth potential

Historic Districts (example: Martin Luther King historic district)

Thematic nomination – highlight assets dispersed across the community

Historic Heritage Advisory Group Recommendations Objective: Support and enhance preservation and redevelopment

Individual building – historic and landmark designa-

Historic markers (example: synagogues, site of Dr. King’s speeches)

strategies by promoting North Lawndale’s image and assets as a historically significant community. Highlight Lawndale’s historic and

2. Community Image-Building

cultural heritage to encourage resident leadership in preserving and

•

Change the community’s image to the outside world by pursu-

revitalizing their community. Use historic heritage as a tool to attract

ing the following:

new resident stewards who have overlooked North Lawndale.

Strategy:

1. Community Preservation •

Identify historically significant buildings and sites with input from current and former residents o

Create a community policy for anti-demolition that preserves significant buildings

• Create a Historic Greystone Initiative for North Lawndale • Assess the potential benefits and drawbacks of nominating specific neighborhood areas to the National Register of Historic Places and/or the City of Chicago’s Landmarks Commission

o o

Install special lighting on historic avenues or boulevards Design and install banners and murals along visible corridors Restore the landscape, install new historic street furni- ture, kiosks, and other landscape features Assign honorary names to streets (after historically significant residents or events)

Restore and clean building façades

Design walking, bike and bus tours in conjunction with

outside partners such as the Chicago Architecture

Foundation

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER THREE Creation of Lawndale Heritage

Planning Phase for the Greystone Initiative

In the Summer of 2004, Charles Leeks and several community leaders

In the summer of 2004, a core group comprised of staff from NHS of

came together to form Lawndale Heritage, a new non-profit organiza-

Chicago, the Civic Committee and UIC’s City Design Center began to

tion with a unique community mission. The idea for the organization

discuss next steps for launching a Greystone Initiative in North Lawn-

grew out of many conversations that had taken place for several years

dale. These partners held preliminary discussions with the City’s Com-

among numerous community residents who wanted to promote the arts

missioner of Housing and the Commissioner of Environment to gauge

and culture in the community. Torrio Osborne was an important voice

potential interest in the proposed initiative. The Commissioners were

in these conversations. This collective interest spawned several cultural

very supportive and assigned staff liaisons to share background on

programs, including the “Ravinia-Lawndale Partnership,” a community

the Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative and related green bungalow

concert program coordinated jointly by Ravinia and community leaders

projects – both City-endorsed initiatives that predated the Greystone

that brings family-oriented musical performances to Lawndale.

Initiative. The group also met with the founder of the Historic Chicago

The founders of Lawndale Heritage want to create a permanent institutional presence in North Lawndale that fosters civic engagement and

Bungalow Association to learn about the origins and evolution of that successful initiative.

restores community pride by preserving, supporting, and becoming a

Early support from the Departments of Housing and Environment

good steward of those historical and cultural assets. The new organiza-

encouraged these core partners to pursue a more formalized planning

tion will be devoted to researching and chronicling the story of North

process for the Greystone Initiative. That summer, the group met with

Lawndale as a way to celebrate its culture and history as well as to plan

the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, a strong supporter of the Bunga-

for the community’s future. Its founding board members will seek to

low Initiative, to introduce the idea for the proposed Greystone Initiative.

more broadly share Lawndale’s story and more effectively use its cul-

The Foundation agreed with a planning phase approach and awarded

tural and historical legacy as a tool for community change. As of 2005

a planning grant to the City Design Center in early September 2004

Lawndale Heritage is currently in the process of formalizing its orga-

to carry out the necessary research to launch the Greystone Initiative.

nizational structure and its board is identifying and developing initial

Civic Committee staff secured an additional planning grant from the

programs that are aligned with its mission. (See Lawndale Heritage’s

JPMorgan Chase Foundation. This funding supported a strategic plan-

website www.lawndaleheritage.org for more background on the mission

ning process for the Greystone Initiative, work that would be conducted

of this new non-profit organization.)

in tandem with the City Design Center’s greystone research.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORIC GREYSTONE INITIATIVE PLANNING PHASE In November 2004, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago

planning phase were a new body of research on greystones in North

stepped into a lead position for the Initiative, agreeing to manage

Lawndale and a multi-year strategic plan that lays out the overarching

day-to-day operations of the program in collaboration with community

goals and programmatic components of the Greystone Initiative.

partners in North Lawndale. With assistance from the Civic Committee,

City Design Center Activities

NHS formed and convened a Greystone Steering Team, whose central

As discussed in earlier in this report, the City Design Center’s exten-

role was to provide periodic feedback and guidance to the greystone

sive survey research focused on estimating North Lawndale’s current

research and planning efforts. NHS also retained Michael Schubert, a

stock of greystone homes and cataloguing the architectural styles of

principal with Community Development Strategies, Inc., to complete a

greystone buildings. Based on this research, the Center offered sug-

strategic work plan for the Initiative.

gestions to the Steering Team for potential programmatic definitions of

In December 2004, the Greystone Steering Team held monthly meet-

greystones. The Center also created an integrated GIS system for North

ings, where staff from the City Design Center and Community Devel-

Lawndale that documented the geographic distribution, condition, and

opment Strategies presented preliminary research findings and early

ownership of greystones. This research informed the Steering Team’s

conceptual thinking on program design. Steering Team members

decisions about the scope and parameters of the Greystone Initiative,

included several North Lawndale residents and local elected officials

including defining greystones and the eligibility process, potential public

who represent Lawndale – Alderman Michael Chandler, Cook County

and private partnerships, and the design of program interventions that

Commissioner Bobbie Steele, and State Representative Art Turner.

would be carried out in North Lawndale.

Other members included representatives from Lawndale Heritage, the

Program Definition of Greystones

City Design Center at UIC, the Civic Committee, and City Departments of Housing and Environment. (See Appendix B for members of the Greystone Steering Team.)

The Steering Team emphasized the need for a clear, accurate definition of a greystone (e.g. housing type, style, and period) to facilitate the marketing and administration of the new program. The definition needed

Over the next five months, the Steering Team reviewed progress on

to be flexible enough to use throughout the City and easily understood

the Center’s research efforts and approved final recommendations on

by the general public. Initially, the City Design Center presented two

program design and implementation. Two key deliverables from the

potential definitions for consideration: greystone era and greystone

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER THREE structure. The working definition of a greystone home approved by the

Of the 75 buildings rehabbed, 80 percent were 2-flats, 4% were single

Steering Team consists of the following:

family homes, and 16% had three to six units. The majority of repairs



Residential buildings with 1-6 dwelling units

included roofing, porches, electrical systems, windows, paint, and



Limestone façade

masonry work. A key finding was that rehab costs were generally



Built before 1945

greater than costs associated with rehabbing bungalows. This is due, in

The definition approved by the Steering Team excludes similar his-

large part, to the fact that greystone buildings are older than bungalows

toric brick 2-flats, which were built in the same time period and may

and have larger square footage (approximately 2,800 sq. ft. for a 2-flat

even have been built by the same builder or owner. Center research-

greystone vs. 1,200 sq. ft for a bungalow).

ers observed that, apart from the limestone facing, some brick 2-flats were otherwise identical to their greystone counterparts. Based on this information, the Steering Team gave thoughtful consideration to the idea of including other types of facing in the working definition that would determine eligibility to participate in the Greystone Initiative. Ultimately, the Steering Team agreed that a limestone facade was a primary distinguishing characteristic for the program and that similar buildings with brick facades would be ineligible.

Overall cost estimates made by NHS were based on varying levels of rehabilitation work needed to restore the building to a higher standard. Actual costs varied greatly based on several variables: the size of the building; building condition prior to renovation; the extent of renovation actually completed; and year that each renovation was undertaken. Given these variables, the average rehabilitation cost per building was $36,213; the average per unit cost was $18,107; and the average cost per square foot was $13. Note that such low rehab costs are some-

Analysis of Greystone Rehabilitation Previously Completed by NHS

what misleading because the work performed by the majority of these

The City Design Center also conducted an analysis of rehabilitation

greystone homeowners was limited by a lack of resources.

(“rehab”) needs and costs incurred by a number of greystone home-

Also, the data was slightly skewed because nearly two-thirds of these

owners who were previously assisted by NHS staff. Center researchers

rehab projects used TIF funds to cover the cost of exterior improve-

met with Darris Shaw, Director of Construction, and several project man-

ments. City rules require that 70 percent of TIF funds must be spent on

agers to review records of 75 rehabilitation projects completed by NHS

exterior improvements. It was therefore assumed that the average per

over the past 10 years on Lawndale greystones. The source of funds

unit cost would have been higher if homeowners were able to access

for these rehabilitation projects was a combination of NHS low-interest

more flexible funds that could have been allocated to interior rehabilita-

loans and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds.

tion needs.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORIC GREYSTONE INITIATIVE PLANNING PHASE Center researchers found that one of the biggest rehabilitation challenges was maintaining painted limestone façades, which require a new coat every three to four years. The limestone on these buildings is old and very porous, making repainting time-consuming and costly. Many homeowners therefore opt to remove the paint, which creates a separate set of environmental challenges. If the paint contains lead, which is typical of older buildings, extra safety measures are needed to prevent the spread of air-borne particles and soil contamination. The installation of additional insulation was another challenge for greystone Figure 3.2 Results of greystone rehabilitation analysis completed by NHS Chicago. The analysis demonstrates the need for information and resources that facilitate greystone renovation efforts.

homeowners. The majority of greystones have only one inch of space between the plaster and the brick exterior wall. Gut rehabs provide the ability to install higher value insulation if the walls are reframed. Other energy conservation measures can be achieved through the installation of new windows, doors, roof, and heating systems with programmable thermostats. Strategic Work Plan The “Historic Greystone Initiative Strategic Plan,” was reviewed and approved by the Steering Team in late April 2005. The five-year strategic work plan, which was developed by Community Development Strategies Inc. as an outcome of the strategic planning priorities referred to earlier, presents a menu of rehabilitation and energy efficiency programs, financing tools and other public and private resources necessary to operate the Greystone Initiative. The plan also draws from the City Design Center’s greystone research to propose a working definition of greystones and program eligibility criteria. The Center’s mapping work also informed the plan’s

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER THREE suggestion of creating model greystone blocks, which would target

•

resources towards greystones clustered in various blocks of Lawndale.

Encouraging improvements and enhancements to preserve greystones for future generations

The internal planning document addresses the need for potential public

•

Stimulating private investment in the local housing market

and private programmatic partnerships, operational funding sources,

•

Increasing number of owner-occupied greystones

and staffing. It includes a targeted marketing strategy for the Lawndale

•

Preserving affordable rental units in owner-occupied

program as well as a broad city-wide public education campaign. The plan also calls for the creation of a resource publication for greystone

greystones •

owners interested in rehabbing their homes and suggests an evaluation framework to measure program outcomes, changes in community

Promoting energy-efficient “green” greystones that are more affordable to maintain

•

image and pride, and broader market impacts of the Initiative.

Serving as a prototype for a broader initiative to be implemented across Chicago’s “Greystone Belt”

Goals of the Greystone Initiative in North Lawndale

Greystone Initiative - Program Components

As articulated in the strategic plan, the first phase of the Greystone

The strategic plan lays out three primary areas for the Initiative.

Initiative will be launched in North Lawndale where a variety of technical assistance, rehabilitation, lending and marketing strategies will be tested and evaluated before potentially expanding the program to other transitional Chicago communities that are situated within the “Greystone

General Program A package of low-cost loans, grants, and technical assistance available to all greystone owners in North Lawndale. Other resources available to the general public will include:

Belt.” Primary goals of the Greystone Initiative detailed in the strategic plan

•

history of the greystone, as well as considerations for design,

include: •

Raising awareness and community pride in the historic significance of greystone homes

•

Drawing positive attention to Lawndale’s historic housing assets

A Greystone Guide publication that focuses the architectural exterior and interior renovations, and green improvements

•

Workshops developed by various partners that address a variety of rehabilitation needs and energy conservation options

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORIC GREYSTONE INITIATIVE PLANNING PHASE Target Block Lending

Greystone Guide

Significant improvements to greystones in concentrated blocks in

The Center will author and publish a Greystone Guide for the preser-

North Lawndale.

vation and renovation of greystone residential buildings in the City of Chicago. The project will be led by Roberta Feldman, Co-Director of the

Model Greystones A cluster of 4-6 rehabilitated greystones using a variety of approaches (e.g. de-conversions, redesigns, green technology models)

City Design Center, and a team of architectural historians, designers, and several leading architects affiliated with UIC’s Department of Architecture. Staff from NHS of Chicago and the City Departments of Hous-

Planning Phase (Completed, May 2005)

ing and Environment will serve as advisors to the Guidebook project.

The planning phase for the Greystone Initiative was completed in May

The Greystone Guide will be published in two parts: Part One in

2005. Going forward, NHS of Chicago agreed to serve as the lead

Summer 2006; Part Two in Spring 2007. Part One will focus on the his-

implementing organization for the Initiative, with ongoing guidance

torical and cultural aspects of the Historic Greystone Initiative, including

from the Greystone Steering Team. In the summer of 2005, NHS and

a description of Chicago greystones, a history of the design and devel-

its key partners met with prospective funders and public sector part-

opment of North Lawndale’s greystones, a brief history of the North

ners with the goal of funding both the operating budget and the capital

Lawndale community, with a focus on physical fabric, and profiles of

budget for the Greystone Initiative. The official public launch date for

several Lawndale greystone owners. Part Two will focus on technical

the Initiative is early summer 2006, with a variety of marketing activities

concerns for maintaining and restoring greystones, including assess-

taking place in the first half of the year.

ing the condition of a greystone building, and establishing priorities and guidelines for interior and exterior renovation that preserve historic

Next Steps for the Implementation Phase The City Design Center will continue to play a partnership role in the implementation phase of the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® with involvement on three projects: the Greystone Guide, the Greystone

charter and support energy conservation. Part two will also provide useful information on alternative reconfigurations of greystone interiors and guidelines for landscaping and street improvements.

Impact Evaluation, and “Learning from Lawndale,” a museum exhibit

The primary audience for the Greystone Guide is existing and potential

on North Lawndale’s architectural, social, and cultural history.

greystone owners, contractors, and community organizations, although

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

CHAPTER THREE it is expected that many other individuals including preservationists, his-

evolution from start-up to full implementation. Main components of the

torians, community activists and others from Chicago and further afield

evaluation will include: A) an assessment of the community’s image,

will be interested in the book as well. The Guide will be released in

both internally and externally; B) case studies featuring greystone hom-

conjunction with the launch of the Historic Greystone Initiative in North

eowners; C) an assessment of program design and implementation

Lawndale and will also coincide with the opening of an exhibition on

outcomes; D) documentation of program communication strategies,

North Lawndale at the Chicago Architecture Foundation in the Summer

marketing tools, and public education programs; and E) an analysis of

of 2006.

economic impact and community revitalization, which will draw from relevant baseline data collected by the Center in the greystone plan-

Greystone Impact Evaluation As detailed in this report, the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative®

ning phase.

seeks to create a prototype program that uses historic heritage as a key

In terms of program enhancements, the evaluation will help NHS pro-

tool in community organizing and neighborhood economic develop-

gram administrators understand what modifications may be needed

ment. The partners involved in designing and implementing this inno-

to improve the program’s impact. The evaluation will also serve as

vative program recognize the importance of documenting the process,

an important source of information when expanding the program to a

outcomes, and lessons learned from this initiative. To track these

larger scale in other transitional Chicago communities.

outcomes, the City Design Center will conduct a multi-year evaluation of

From another equally important vantage point, findings from the Cen-

the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative , which will provide quantitative

ter’s evaluation of the Greystone Initiative will potentially provide data

and qualitative evidence of the program’s impact in its first five years of

that would both inform and influence policy makers and researchers

operation. The evaluation team will be led by Center Research Professor

working in the field of neighborhood economic revitalization. The evalu-

Susanne Schnell and Co-Directors Roberta Feldman and Brent Ryan.

ation will be a valuable source of information that could not only pro-

Charles Leeks and Bob Bruegmann will also serve as advisors.

mote the Greystone Initiative as a replicable model, but also promote

The evaluation will measure the Greystone Initiative’s impact and

historic heritage as a viable strategy for rebuilding other economically

effectiveness using several different methods that track the program’s

disadvantaged areas across the country.

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

HISTORIC GREYSTONE INITIATIVE PLANNING PHASE North Lawndale Exhibit and Design Competition

through November 2006. The exhibition will be shown in North Lawn-

The Chicago Architecture Foundation, in collaboration with numerous

dale beginning in the Spring of 2007. The historical materials gathered

partners — the City Design Center, Lawndale Heritage, NHS of Chicago,

in preparation for the exhibition will ultimately be deposited with Lawn-

the Chicago Architectural Club, and the Civic Committee – will stage

dale Heritage and form the core of its historical collection.

an exhibition focused on North Lawndale. Ned Cramer, Curator at the

A design competition organized by the Chicago Architectural Club will

Chicago Architecture Foundation, will co-curate the exhibit with David

be another key feature of the exhibit. The competition will provide a

Brown, Associate Professor at UIC’s School of Architecture and Associ-

structure for different kinds of interaction and collaboration between

ate Director at the City Design Center.

residents and the design community. It seeks to expose residents to a

The “Learning from North Lawndale” exhibit seeks to promote a greater

broad range of ways that the community might fully utilize all or parts

sense of community pride and engagement among residents, and

of its architectural, social, and cultural assets. The winning ideas from

to demonstrate possibilities for economic renewal. The process of

the design competition will be exhibited as part of the North Lawndale

documenting the neighborhood’s history and its contemporary culture

exhibit.

will involve an ongoing collaboration between the exhibit team and Lawndale residents. Community ambassadors, a group of current and former residents, will be enlisted to help formulate major themes for the exhibit, locate records held by residents, identify individuals to be interviewed, and to develop an overall narrative that weaves together North Lawndale’s many stories. The results of these efforts – new and archival text and images as well as oral histories – will be placed into an overall graphic and curatorial context for the exhibition. The exhibit will also feature a comprehensive series of public programs and resident-guided neighborhood tours. It will be shown in downtown locations from July

PLANNING PHASE REPORT

APPENDIX A Historic Heritage Advisory Group Robert Bruegmann College of Architecture and the Arts University of Illinois at Chicago Ted Christians North Lawndale Resident UMOJA / Manley High School Andrea Danks Kristin Dean Homan Square Community Center Foundation Sam Flowers North Lawndale Resident H.I.C.A. Corporation of North Lawndale Cleophus Glover North Lawndale Resident H.I.C.A. Corporation of North Lawndale Bernard Jennings Lawndale Business & Local Development Corp. Charles Leeks North Lawndale Resident Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago

Kenneth Nelson Chicago Public Library – Douglass Branch Torrio Osborne Franchise Partnership Center for Neighborhood Technology Jim Peters Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois Brent D. Ryan College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs and City Design Center University of Illinois at Chicago Eric Strickland North Lawndale Resident Lawndale Business & Local Development Corp. Susanne Schnell Civic Committee Richard Townsell North Lawndale Resident Lawndale Christian Development Corp. Royce Yeater Midwest Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Russell Lewis Chicago Historical Society

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HISTORIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE INITIATIVE

APPENDIX B

Historic Greystone Steering Team Members Shawn Boler North Lawndale resident Robert Bruegmann Professor, College of Art History, University of Illinois at Chicago

Darris Shaw North Lawndale resident Director of Construction Services, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago Commissioner Bobbie Steele North Lawndale resident Cook County Board of Commissioners

Alderman Michael Chandler 24th Ward, City of Chicago Juri Jones-Moore Assistant Commissioner, Department of Environment, City of Chicago Charles Leeks Board Chair, Lawndale Heritage, North Lawndale resident, North Lawndale Neighborhood Director, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago Bill Povalla Assistant Commissioner, Department of Housing, City of Chicago Seth Reimer Special Projects Coordinator, Department of Environment, City of Chicago Brent D. Ryan Co-Director, City Design Center, University of Illinois at Chicago

Eric Strickland North Lawndale resident Executive Director, Lawndale Business & Local Development Corp. William Townsell North Lawndale resident Assistant Director, CAPS Implementation Office Chicago Police Department Representative Art Turner North Lawndale resident Illinois House of Representatives Jim Wheaton Deputy Director Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago

Susanne Schnell Senior Manager, Economic Development, Civic Committee Research Assistant Professor, City Design Center, University of Illinois at Chicago

PLANNING PHASE REPORT