Swift House
National Register of Historic Places

Swift House

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
June 8, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
78001133

About this property

The Swift House is a historic house at 4500 S. Michigan Avenue in the Grand Boulevard community area of Chicago, Illinois. The house was built in 1892 for Edward Morris and his wife Helen Swift Morris. Both of the owners had close ties to Chicago's meatpacking industry; Edward was the president of Morris & Company, while Helen was the daughter of Gustavus Franklin Swift, the founder of Swift & Company. The Richardsonian Romanesque home was most likely designed by Chicago architects Willett & Pashley. Its design includes a rusticated stone exterior, porches supported by stone columns, a dentillated cornice, and a turret and stone gable projecting from the roof. In addition to being a home for several different owners, the house has also served as a funeral home and as the headquarters of the Chicago Urban League. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1978. On December 3, 2023, the building was severely damaged in a fire.

Location

4500 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
41.81296, -87.62344

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Battles

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1919Modern
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Questions about this property

When was Swift House listed on the National Register?

Swift House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 8, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Swift House?

Swift House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Swift House?

The period of significance for Swift House is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Swift House?

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 Swift House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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