Hygienic Manufacturing Company, also known as Overton Hygienic Company, was a cosmetics company established by Anthony Overton. It was one of the nation's largest producers of African-American cosmetics. Anthony Overton also ran other businesses from the building, including the

Victory Life Insurance Company The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitute ...

and

Douglass National Bank Douglass may refer to: Surname * Douglass (surname) * Douglass family, family of Frederick Douglass ** Frederick Douglass (1818–1895), noted abolitionist Given name * Douglass Dumbrille (1889–1974), Canadian actor in early Hollywood * Dou ...

, the first nationally chartered, African-American-owned bank. The Overton Hygienic Building is a

Chicago Landmark Chicago Landmark is a designation by the Mayor and the City Council of Chicago for historic sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, archite ...

and part of the Black Metropolis-Bronzeville District in the Douglas community area of Chicago, Illinois. It is located at 3619-3627 South

State Street State Street may refer to: Streets and locations *State Street (Chicago), Illinois * State Street (Portland, Maine) *State Street (Boston), Massachusetts *State Street (Ann Arbor), Michigan * State Street (Albany), New York *State Street (Manhatta ...

. The building was commissioned by Anthony Overton in 1922 as a combination of a store, office, and manufacturing building. It was regarded as one of the most important buildings within the district. Overton would later commission the

Chicago Bee Building The Chicago Bee Building is a historic building on Chicago's South Side. It originally housed the '' Chicago Bee'', a newspaper serving the African Americans of Chicago. The building now houses the Chicago Bee Branch of the Chicago Public Libr ...

in 1929.

Walter T. Bailey Walter Thomas Bailey (January 11, 1882 – February 21, 1941) was an American architect from Kewanee, Illinois. He was the first African American graduate with a bachelor of science degree in architectural engineering from the University of Illin ...

, the first licensed African-American architect in the state of Illinois, had his first Chicago office on the second floor of the Overton Hygienic Building.Bey, Lee.
Art Moderne beauty: First Church of Deliverance
", '' WBEZ, 91.5'', February 15, 2010, accessed November 29, 2010.Savage, Beth L. and National Register of Historic Places. ''African-American Historic Places'',
Google Books link
,

John Wiley and Sons John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley (), is an American multinational publishing company founded in 1807 that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. The company produces books, journals, and encyclopedias, in p ...

, 1994, p. 207, ().Wilson, Dreck Spurlock. ''African-American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary (1865-1945)'',
Google Books link
, Taylor & Francis, 2004, pp. 15-17, (). The building was later named the Palace Hotel and served for some time as a flophouse, with residents crowded into stalls 8 feet by 5½ feet. The second, third, and fourth floors each housed 125 stalls, with dormitory-style bathrooms and showers, for a total of 375 stalls. The building is now owned and being developed by the Mid-South Planning and Development Commission, which will use the building as an incubator for small businesses and startups within the Black Metropolis neighborhood.

References

{{Registered Historic Places African-American history in Chicago Commercial buildings completed in 1922 Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Chicago Douglas, Chicago Historic district contributing properties in Illinois Chicago Landmarks 1922 establishments in Illinois