Chicago's 7 Most Endangered Buildings
Every year Preservation Chicago highlights seven buildings they think are worth saving. One of the 2015 'Chicago 7' is the South Side Masonic Temple located near Kennedy-King College in Englewood. Some in that community say the building is past saving and should be torn down. We set out to document the current state of Chicago's Most Endangered Buildings.
South Side Masonic Temple
The facade shows crumbling bricks and missing windows.
South Side Masonic Temple
The Temple's cornerstone is missing a large chunk.
South Side Masonic Temple
A masonry feature on the facade of the Temple includes impressive columns.
South Side Masonic Temple
Graffiti scrawled across plywood covering an entrance to the Temple.
South Side Masonic Temple
The Temple cuts an imposing figure on it's block.
South Side Masonic Temple
An entrance to one of the Temple's auditoriums is boarded up with decaying plywood.
South Side Masonic Temple
The Square and Compasses symbol has a prominent place in the Temple's masonry.
South Side Masonic Temple
The contrast between the Temple and it's closest neighbor is stark.
Agudas Achim
Agudas Achim North Shore Congregation stands in a residential block north of Argyle Street.
Agudas Achim
The Star of David is prominently featured in the building's masonry above a broken stained glass window.
Agudas Achim
The prominent arches in the building's facade and windows make it stand out from surrounding structures.
Agudas Achim
A depiction of the Ten Commandments is set in a brick wall of the building.
Agudas Achim
A stained glass window featuring the Star of David appears to need maintence.
Agudas Achim
The building has been called “the last grand Chicago synagogue.”
Clarendon Park Community Center
When it was built, the Clarendon Municipal Bathing Beach was waterfront. The extension of Lake Shore Drive moved the lakefront further east.
Clarendon Park Community Center
The building has lost many of it's distinctive architectural details over the years. It now looks similar to many other inland fieldhouses.
Clarendon Park Community Center
A stark brick wall now faces east.
Clarendon Park Community Center
The masonry and bricks near the building's current main entrance bear the marks of many stopgap repairs.
Clarendon Park Community Center
A water fountain stands alone in a side yard.
A. Finkl & Sons Steel
A large piece of machinary marks the eastern edge of the A. Finkl & Sons Steel buildings.
A. Finkl & Sons Steel
An iconic archway marks the Western entrance to the building complex. Many of the structures near it have already been demolished.
A. Finkl & Sons Steel
A structure on the north side of the complex features architectural symmetry.
A. Finkl & Sons Steel
The blue F inside a diamond is a familiar site to drivers on Cortland Street.
A. Finkl & Sons Steel
Though the building is now vacant, cars can be found parked along the north side of the property.
A. Finkl & Sons Steel
Hand-drawn logo and name adorn a door and wall along Cortland Street.
A. Finkl & Sons Steel
Buildings in the complex were built between 1903 and the 1980s.
Main Building - Illinois Institute of Technology
The Main Building at IIT appears to be in the best shape of the Chicago 7.
Main Building - Illinois Institute of Technology
The cornerstone of the building notes 1891 as the year construction began, when it was known as the Armour Institute of Technology.
Main Building - Illinois Institute of Technology
The Institute recently issued an RFP for adaptive re-use plans for the building.
Main Building - Illinois Institute of Technology
The building is visible from the Dan Ryan Expressway, Metra and CTA tracks.
Neon Signs
Central Camera's iconic sign in Chicago's Loop
Neon Signs
Roeser's Bakery has a classic neon sign
Pioneer Arcade & New Apollo Theater
These two buildings are located directly across the street from one another on Pulaski Road.
Pioneer Arcade & New Apollo Theater
The Pioneer Arcade is boarded up and graffitied, but appears to still have many distinctive architectural details intact.
Pioneer Arcade & New Apollo Theater
The terra cotta work along the roof of Pioneer Arcade is unique in the area.
Pioneer Arcade & New Apollo Theater
Fading graffiti can be seen on the second floor of the Pioneer facade.
Pioneer Arcade & New Apollo Theater
The Pioneer Arcade appears to be under development to become affordable senior housing.
Pioneer Arcade & New Apollo Theater
The New Apollo Theater was most recently used as a sports bar and banquet hall.