| Address | 1513-1539 W. Monroe & 101-109 S. Ashland, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1907-1931 |
| Architect | Robert C. Berlin; Perkins, Chatten & Hammond; Shattuck & Hussey |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | November 14, 2018 (Final)City Council Journal of the Proceedings, p. 91340 |
| Neighborhood | Near West Side |
| Type | Club and social hall |
| Landmark ID | L-354 |
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“During the first half of the 20th century, the YMCA and YWCA developed a comprehensive roster of programs and services at its West Side complex that helped young men and women, many of whom were recent immigrants, to assimilate, learn English, find jobs, and maintain a moral compass while living in the city.”
“Important extant examples include the Wabash Avenue YMCA at 3763 South Wabash (completed 1911-1913, part of the Black Metropolis-Bronzeville Chicago Landmark District), which was initiated and financed in part by Julius Rosenwald to serve the African American community in Bronzeville, and the YMCA Hotel at 820 South Wabash Street (completed 1916), the first YMCA facility in the nation designed to offer permanent lodging for residents.”
“By 1908, Chicago had twenty facilities of various types located throughout the city. When the Chicago YMCA celebrated its 50th anniversary that year and mounted a successful million-dollar fundraising campaign, it was reputed to be the foremost YMCA in the world in value of its properties and extent of its outreach.”
“The three YMCA buildings on Monroe Street are fine institutional examples of the Classical Revival style, which was popularized through the "White City" design of the 1893 Columbian Exposition and the resulting City Beautiful movement.”
“As Architect for the Chicago Board of Education, Perkins designed more than 40 school buildings and additions to existing buildings, many of which are innovative in overall design and spatial planning.”
“During the Great Depression, the West Side YMCA/YWCA Complex only gained in importance, as they offered badly needed services to unemployed young people. By 1930, it had dormitories supplying 524 beds, making it one of the largest in the country.”
“His career extended into the 1950s, leaving a number of well-designed multi-residence buildings, many along Chicago's lakeshore. His other major works include the Powhatan Apartments (with Charles L. Morgan, 1927, a designated Chicago landmark) known for its striking Art Deco rendition of native American ornament, and Lathrop Homes (1938, listed on the National Register of Historic Places).”
“In early 1968 a portion of the complex, leased from the West Side YMCA, became the Duncan Way Community Center, a halfway house that was the first in Illinois to be state-operated and financed.”
“The complex served as a regional headquarters for the Chicago YMCA and an important center for social, educational, and recreational activities in the Near West Side neighborhood for nearly seventy years.”
“During the Civil War, the YMCA of Chicago conducted religious services and relief work at camps and hospitals, and began programs to aid the "worthy poor." Prominent Chicago businessmen such as John V. Farwell, Benjamin F. Jacobs, Edwin S. Wells, and Henry Weld Fuller were major contributors and served as presidents of the association in the 1860s.”