South Water Market
National Register of Historic Places

South Water Market

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
August 19, 2004
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
04000870

About this property

South Water Market is a historic produce market in the Lower West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Completed in 1925, the complex was designed as a structured replacement to Chicago's sprawling downtown produce markets on South Water Street; while these markets had existed since the mid-19th century, they had become a traffic and sanitation problem. The new complex included six buildings with 166 units, all with modernized and hygienic facilities; despite being relocated away from South Water Street, it kept the South Water name. The complex was the largest produce market by area in the nation when it opened, and it soon became the second-largest by sales behind New York City's markets. The market served as the nexus of Chicago's major produce wholesaling industry, which both provided food for city residents and functioned as a forwarding market due to the city's railroad connections.

Location

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
41.87477, -87.65453

Federal Designation

The National Register of Historic Places, administered by the National Park Service, is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical, architectural, archaeological, engineering, or cultural significance. Listing on the National Register recognizes a property's importance to American history but does not place restrictions on private owners; it does, however, make properties eligible for federal historic preservation tax incentives and enables consideration in federal planning decisions. This property is recorded in the National Register under reference number 04000870. It was listed on August 19, 2004.

Categories

COMMERCECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
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.

Nearby Historic Sites

Automatic Electric Company Building
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Haymarket Affair, Chicago 1886
1886Frontier
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was South Water Market listed on the National Register?

South Water Market was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 2004.

What type of historic resource is South Water Market?

South Water Market is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for South Water Market?

The period of significance for South Water Market is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near South Water Market?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near South Water Market will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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