National Register of Historic Places

Eighth Regiment Armory

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
April 29, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86001096

About this property

The Eighth Regiment Armory, located in the Black Metropolis-Bronzeville District of Chicago, Illinois, was the first armory in the United States built for an African-American military regiment, known as the "Fighting 8th". The building later was used by a division of the Illinois National Guard, and during World War I was incorporated into the US Infantry. After closing the armory in the early 1960s, it became the South Central Gymnasium. In 1999, following an extensive renovation, it was reopened as a public high school military academy. The restoration and conversion into a school has been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The nearby Victory Monument honors the regiment for service during World War I. The armory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 1986, and was designated as a Chicago Landmark on September 9, 1998. It is one of nine landmark structures in the Black Metropolis-Bronzeville District. In currently houses the Chicago Military Academy.

Location

3533 S. Giles Ave.
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
41.83072, -87.61940

Categories

MILITARYBLACKSOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Victory Sculpture
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0.1 mi
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0.1 mi
Roche, Martin-John Tait House
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0.1 mi
Kehilath Anshe Ma'ariv Synagogue
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0.3 mi
Roloson, Robert, Houses
Industrial
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Red Summer — Chicago Race Riot 1919
1919Modern
2.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Eighth Regiment Armory listed on the National Register?

Eighth Regiment Armory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 29, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Eighth Regiment Armory?

Eighth Regiment Armory is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Eighth Regiment Armory?

The period of significance for Eighth Regiment Armory is recorded as the industrial era.

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