National Register of Historic Places

Unity Hall

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
April 29, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86001092

About this property

Unity Hall is a historic building located at 3140 S. Indiana Ave. in the Douglas community area of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1887, the building originally served as a Jewish social club called the Lakeside Club. The red brick building, designed by local architect L.B. Dixon, features terra cotta decorations and sheet metal edging. In 1917, Chicago alderman Oscar Stanton De Priest founded the Peoples Movement Club and made Unity Hall its headquarters. De Priest was the first African-American to serve on the Chicago City Council, and he established the Peoples Movement Club to organize the black community politically. The Peoples Movement Club became "one of the best organized political groups" in Chicago's Black Metropolis neighborhood, and De Priest became the first African-American U.S. Representative from the northern states in 1928. After the Peoples Movement Club left the building, William L. Dawson used it as his political headquarters. From the 1950s onward, the building had mainly been used by churches. It is currently vacant and was placed on Preservation Chicago's list of the most endangered historic properties in the city. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 1986. It was named a Chicago Landmark on September 9, 1998.

Location

3140 S. Indiana Ave.
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
41.83773, -87.62248

Categories

BLACKPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTSOCIAL 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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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Nearby Historic Sites

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Illinois Institute of Technology Academic Campus
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S.R. Crown Hall
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0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Red Summer — Chicago Race Riot 1919
1919Modern
1.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Unity Hall listed on the National Register?

Unity Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 29, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Unity Hall?

Unity Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Unity Hall?

The period of significance for Unity Hall is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Unity Hall?

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