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Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
Berwyn Frank
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: November 19, 2010 12:06AM
I have been really getting into Bronzeville history these days. One aspect in particular that fascinates me is the mega apartment houses that were famous in the old Bronzeville neighborhood. The one that originally captured my fascination was the Mecca Flats which was legendary in Chicago, located at 34th & State St. Many blacks that moved north during the great migration passed through this historic structure. It was razed in 1951 in the name of "urban renewal" for expansion of IIT. I have this book which has a great essay on the Mecca's history. (Some of it is missing as is typical with google books. They want the reader to go out and buy the real book!)
[url=http://books.google.com/books?id=sMSS81aMUdgC&pg=PA150&lpg=PA150&dq=mecca+apartments+chicago&source=bl&ots=6Q_qj6-9Cs&sig=irl9WLugFRTzMAzjSL6dRhTXI_Q&hl=en&ei=feblTIvROeGZnAeoje2EDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=mecca%20apartments%20chicago&f=false]Mecca Flat Blues[/url]
Here are some vintage circa 1910 images that belong to a friend of mine.
Mecca before demolition 1951.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2010 01:12AM by Berwyn Frank.
[url=http://books.google.com/books?id=sMSS81aMUdgC&pg=PA150&lpg=PA150&dq=mecca+apartments+chicago&source=bl&ots=6Q_qj6-9Cs&sig=irl9WLugFRTzMAzjSL6dRhTXI_Q&hl=en&ei=feblTIvROeGZnAeoje2EDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=mecca%20apartments%20chicago&f=false]Mecca Flat Blues[/url]
Here are some vintage circa 1910 images that belong to a friend of mine.
Mecca before demolition 1951.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2010 01:12AM by Berwyn Frank.
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
Berwyn Frank
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: November 19, 2010 12:15AM
The one that has recently caught my interest is the Michigan Blvd. Garden Apartments. This megalithic 451 unit structure was built in 1929 by Julis Rosenwald, President of Sears Roebuck & Co., to provide affordable housing for black recent arrivals from the south making the migration north. Unfortunately the building has fallen into severe disrepair and is "endangered." Here is a current google maps view of the building. Take a "cruise" via google around this enormous structure that encompasses a whole square city block. It is truly amazing to see how massive this building actually is.
[url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=4800+s+champlain&sll=41.853716,-87.698418&sspn=0.007408,0.016469&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=4800+S+Champlain+Ave,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60615&ll=41.809292,-87.622833&spn=0,0.016469&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.809296,-87.622805&panoid=2ftAgOrUdD2IDXEXIScAeA&cbp=12,312.27,,0,-2.39]Michigan Blvd. Garden Apartments[/url]
Here is a history of the building that was composed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
[url=http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/diversity/african-american-heritage-in-preservation/places-that-matter/michigan-boulevard-garden.html]The story[/url]
Does anybody have anything to add or share about the Mecca Flats or the Michigan Blvd. Garden Apartments?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2010 12:16AM by Berwyn Frank.
[url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=4800+s+champlain&sll=41.853716,-87.698418&sspn=0.007408,0.016469&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=4800+S+Champlain+Ave,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60615&ll=41.809292,-87.622833&spn=0,0.016469&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.809296,-87.622805&panoid=2ftAgOrUdD2IDXEXIScAeA&cbp=12,312.27,,0,-2.39]Michigan Blvd. Garden Apartments[/url]
Here is a history of the building that was composed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
[url=http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/diversity/african-american-heritage-in-preservation/places-that-matter/michigan-boulevard-garden.html]The story[/url]
Does anybody have anything to add or share about the Mecca Flats or the Michigan Blvd. Garden Apartments?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2010 12:16AM by Berwyn Frank.
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
Deejo
(---.pools.spcsdns.net)
Date: November 19, 2010 01:57AM
Some facts about the Mecca:
(1) Gwendolyn Brooks wrote an entire book-length poem about Black life in the Mecca, "In the Mecca" (1968).
(2) Life Magazine (1951) and Harper's (1950) each featured the Mecca in a major story as a symbol of urban decline.
(3) Mies van der Rohe's Crown Hall is built on the site of the Mecca.
(1) Gwendolyn Brooks wrote an entire book-length poem about Black life in the Mecca, "In the Mecca" (1968).
(2) Life Magazine (1951) and Harper's (1950) each featured the Mecca in a major story as a symbol of urban decline.
(3) Mies van der Rohe's Crown Hall is built on the site of the Mecca.
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
davey7
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: November 19, 2010 11:38AM
The Rosenwald Apartments are similar to the Marshall Field Garden Apartments (Just south of North Avenue at Sedgewick) and some earlier CHA project (the one's on Diversey and the River, can't remember the name and many other, mostly gone, projects) but these set the standard for medium density housing. Though they are atypical for Chicago, being more than three floors (even though there was, and in fact, still is, no requirement for elevators above that - being more a function of available water pressure). They remind me of a lot of speculative and low-income housing in NYC. That said, they really should be preserved - we lost a lot that could have been restored over the past ten or fifteen years.
Luckily, there is still a lot of interest left - there are some great, grand apartment buildings left between downtown and Hyde Park both on and off the boulevards. Thanks for posting this - the internal courtyard is really impressive.
Luckily, there is still a lot of interest left - there are some great, grand apartment buildings left between downtown and Hyde Park both on and off the boulevards. Thanks for posting this - the internal courtyard is really impressive.
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: November 19, 2010 11:52AM
Notice the Speedway Wreckers sign in the 1951 Mecca photo. I didn't know they've been around that long.
What's always interested me about the Michigan Garden Apartments is that the northeast corner of the block is comprised of older apartment buildings that were incorporated into the newer complex.
In his autobiography, Quincy Jones has a photo of his mother sitting in the courtyard of the building, where his family lived after moving from their apartment on Prairie.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2010 11:52AM by WayOutWardell.
What's always interested me about the Michigan Garden Apartments is that the northeast corner of the block is comprised of older apartment buildings that were incorporated into the newer complex.
In his autobiography, Quincy Jones has a photo of his mother sitting in the courtyard of the building, where his family lived after moving from their apartment on Prairie.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2010 11:52AM by WayOutWardell.
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
StrayKitten
(66.28.242.---)
Date: November 19, 2010 12:20PM
Great topic! For some crazy reason I am fascinated by large apartment buildings. Not the super-large high rises, but the big courtyard buildings built in the 1930's and before.
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: November 21, 2010 11:07PM
[b]Anybody know about the Stroll? That was on State St. between 26th st. and I think 39th. That was the Afro American downtown before Bronzville. Only one building is left that is 3701 s. State St.[/b]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2010 11:09PM by Richard Stachowski.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2010 11:09PM by Richard Stachowski.
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(63.226.79.---)
Date: November 22, 2010 08:42PM
There's also the Overton Hygenic Building, which was built during the heyday of The Stroll (but not for entertainment purposes), but yeah, there's not much left of State Street to show. Over the years as the Black Belt expanded, the center of entertainment and commerce shifted from there to 47th, and then later to 63rd.
One of the last remaining nightclubs from The Stroll days is now an Ace Hardware on 35th near King Drive - it was the Sunset Cafe, later renamed Grand Terrace. It had a surprisingly long run, from 1917 until about 1950. There are still remnants of the club days inside the store.
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW4k70P4j5I&feature=related]'Sunset Cafe Stomp'[/url]
Hopefully, some of the rehab plans that have been floating around for the Michigan Blvd. building will be realized, before the building is too far gone. Timuel Black said that regarding Bronzeville, “as the changes take place, the image of what Bronzeville once looked like will be very difficult to evoke, simply because so much of it has been wiped out."
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2010 02:30AM by WayOutWardell.
One of the last remaining nightclubs from The Stroll days is now an Ace Hardware on 35th near King Drive - it was the Sunset Cafe, later renamed Grand Terrace. It had a surprisingly long run, from 1917 until about 1950. There are still remnants of the club days inside the store.
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW4k70P4j5I&feature=related]'Sunset Cafe Stomp'[/url]
Hopefully, some of the rehab plans that have been floating around for the Michigan Blvd. building will be realized, before the building is too far gone. Timuel Black said that regarding Bronzeville, “as the changes take place, the image of what Bronzeville once looked like will be very difficult to evoke, simply because so much of it has been wiped out."
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2010 02:30AM by WayOutWardell.
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
davey7
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: November 23, 2010 05:56PM
StrayKitten - there are lots of HUGE courtyard buildings on the South Side. They are one of the most uniquely (if not purely unique to Chicago) Chicago building types.
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
SuperCFL
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: November 30, 2010 02:16AM
My late father remembered the Mecca Flats from his time as a student at IIT in the early 1950s. He said that it was a well known landmark on the campus...well known to avoid, that is. By then the Mecca had become a haven of drugs, vice and crime so bad that some of his fellow classmates who were Marine veterans of WW2 (and otherwise fearless) wouldn't go near the place.
His recollection was that there was a big fire in the by-then-dilapidated building before it was vacated and razed.
His recollection was that there was a big fire in the by-then-dilapidated building before it was vacated and razed.
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
adgorn
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: December 29, 2010 01:15PM
I too have taken an interest in the area. It just seems so tragic to compare this once vibrant community to what it became. A couple of good books to read are: "Bronzeville" by Maren Stange and "Kings:the true story of Chicago's policy kings and numbers racketeers:an informal history" by Nathan Thompson. For the later also see http://www.policykings.com/
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(63.226.79.---)
Date: January 04, 2011 03:55PM
I came across a rather grim interior photo of the Mecca on eBay:
[url=http://cgi.ebay.com/4x5-PHOTO-NEG-Chicago-Mecca-Center-Slum-Housing-1950-/230569640328?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item35af058188]Inside The Mecca, 1950[/url]
[url=http://cgi.ebay.com/4x5-PHOTO-NEG-Chicago-Mecca-Center-Slum-Housing-1950-/230569640328?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item35af058188]Inside The Mecca, 1950[/url]
Re: Historic Bronzeville Apartment Houses
Posted by:
Berwyn Frank
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 29, 2011 09:04PM
A forgotten Chicago reader sent me these photo's and asked me to post them.
[URL=http://imgur.com/N3n5O]
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[URL=http://imgur.com/VyinZ]
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[URL=http://imgur.com/8d5Sr]
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[URL=http://imgur.com/IHVPX]
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[URL=http://imgur.com/dwN91]
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[URL=http://imgur.com/ucicN]
[/URL]
[URL=http://imgur.com/N3n5O]
[URL=http://imgur.com/VyinZ]
[URL=http://imgur.com/8d5Sr]
[URL=http://imgur.com/IHVPX]
[URL=http://imgur.com/dwN91]
[URL=http://imgur.com/ucicN]
