Mapping Chicago's Seven Most Endangered Buildings

By AJ LaTrace Mar 5, 2014, 3:09pm CST

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By AJ LaTrace Mar 5, 2014, 3:09pm CST

Yesterday, the preservation group Preservation Chicago released its annual "Chicago 7" list of the city's most endangered buildings. The list contains architecturally significant buildings all over the city, and several are representative of Chicago's former industrial might. The group wants to raise awareness for the buildings listed, and believes that many are ripe for restoration or repurposing, however multiple high profile historic buildings from the organization's previous lists did not fare so well. We mapped out all seven so that you don't have to, so come take a look and see if one of Chicago's most endangered buildings is in your neighborhood.

· The 2014 Chicago's Seven Most Threatened Buildings [Preservation Chicago]

Fisk/Crawford Power Stations

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Chicago's last coal burning power plants were shut down in 2012 (thankfully), but Preservation Chicago believes the buildings are architecturally significant enough to save. The CTA recently expressed interest in the Fisk Plant, with an eye towards renovation and building a new bus garage and riverfront park.

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1111 West Cermak Road, Chicago, IL 60608

Francis Scott Key Public School

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Shuttered in 2013, the Francis Scott Key school was designed by Prairie School architect Dwight Perkins and opened in 1907.

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517 North Parkside Avenue, Chicago, IL 60644

Jeffery Theater

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Built in 1923 by architect William Doerr, the neoclassical Jeffery Theater was a popular place for Chicago movie goers during the golden age of film.

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1998 East 71st Street, Chicago, IL 60649

St. Adalbert’s Catholic Church

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Designed by architect Henry Schlacks, the Renaissance Revival cathedral is the tallest structure in Pilsen. Parties have been expressing interset in renovation and as of January 2015, the towers are being investigated to put together an estimate for repairs.

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1650 West 17th Street, Chicago, IL 60608

Central Manufacturing District

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The 285-acre former manufacturing center is strewn with red brick warehouses that were built during the first decade of the twentieth century. Ward Miller of Preservation Chicago noted that Landmark Illinois is also trying to save the property; he envisions an future small business incubator here, possibly in the mold of 1871.

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1800 West Pershing Road, Chicago, IL 60609

Madison/Wabash CTA station

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The last original L station on the east leg of the loop will be demolished and replaced when the updated new $75 million Washington-Wabash station opens in 2016. Preservation Chicago is looking to either preserves the space in situ or dissasemble the old station and move it to another stop.