| Address | 2431 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1896-97 |
| Architect | George L. Pfeiffer |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | November 18, 2009 (Final)City Council Journal of the Proceedings, p. 76594 |
| Neighborhood | Near West Side |
| Type | Club and social hall |
| Landmark ID | L-283 |
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“Through class demonstrations, advocacy, and donation of equipment, the Turnverein Vorwaerts helped establish physical education as a regular part of the curriculum in Chicago Public Schools. The Turnverein Vorwaerts played an important role in the transformation of the city's parks from passive to more active forms of recreation by developing plans and gathering community support for improved facilities at Douglas Park, and several members of the organization served prominent positions within for the city's park system.”
“Most significantly, the First Vorwaerts Turner Hall became a flashpoint in the national Railroad Strike of 1877 in an incident that received national press coverage known as the “Turner Hall Raid." In response to pay cuts, railroad workers in West Virginia went on strike in July of 1877.”
“The Vorwaerts Turner Hall exemplifies a neighborhood ethnic sports club, a distinctive type of institution that served the cultural and social needs of, in this case, the many German immigrants who settled in Chicago.”
“LATER HISTORY OF THE TURNVEREIN VORWAERTS The period around the two World Wars was accompanied by increasingly anti-German sentiment in America. Assimilation was particularly strong within the German-American ethnic community during this time, and participation in ethnic clubs like Turnverein declined nationally.”
“The Queen Anne style is also noted for its eclectic combinations of forms from separate architectural styles. Such combinations include the use of Classical columns, Romanesque arched openings, and Gothic ornamental details at the Vorwaerts Turner Hall.”
“The Vorwaerts Turner Hall retains its historic location, overall design and carved decorative details and ornamentation. Carved inscriptions and symbols convey the building's historic ethnic association. The limestone exterior displays a high degree of craftsmanship in traditional materials and detailing.”
“The First Vorwaerts Turner Hall (also known as the Twelfth Street Turner Hall) was a three-story frame structure completed in 1868. Though this building no longer exists, it deserves brief mention as the setting for significant events in the history of the Turnverein Vorwaerts.”
“On the morning of July 26, approximately 200 furniture makers known as the Harmonia Association of Joiners gathered at the First Vorwaerts Turner Hall to discuss the strike.”
“Several of the charter members of the Turnverein Vorwaerts were also veterans of the Civil War. Following the Civil War up to the turn-of-the-twentieth century, the Turner movement continued to grow as German immigrants poured into America, and the Turners remained active in pressing political and social issues during this period.”
“Like other turner halls in Chicago, the large gymnasium at the First Vorwaerts Turner Hall served double duty as an auditorium, and was often used for mass meetings and political speeches which argued for improved working conditions for lower and middle class.”