There are more than 350 places listed on the United States
National Register of Historic Places in
Chicago, Illinois, including 83
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
s that may include numerous historic buildings, structures, objects and sites. This total is documented in the tables referenced below.
[Searching for Chicago listings in the National Register database a]
yields 367 listings because it includes boundary adjustments to existing historic districts and only includes Chicago listings through March 2010. Tables of these listings may be found in the following articles:
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Central Chicago
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National Register of Historic Places listings in South Side Chicago
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National Register of Historic Places listings in West Side Chicago
The first sites in Chicago to be listed were four listed on October 15, 1966, when the National Register was created by the
National Park Service: the
settlement house Hull House, the
Frank Lloyd Wright-designed
Frederick C. Robie House, the
Lorado Taft Midway Studios, and the
site of First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction. The NPS first incorporated previously named National Historic Landmarks, including these four. In total, thirty-four of the sites in Chicago are further designated
National Historic Landmarks of the United States and there are three National Historic Landmark Districts, indicated by the darker colors in the tables.
There are numerous early
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
buildings designed by
Louis Sullivan, and at least three sites relate to the city's role in nationwide retailing. Included also are numerous religious buildings, 15 hotels, and six theaters. Fully 55 are located in the downtown
Loop area, including the
Loop Retail Historic District
Loop Retail Historic District is a shopping district within the Chicago Loop Community areas of Chicago, community area in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is bounded by Lake Street (Chicago), Lake Street to the north, Ida B. Wells Driv ...
itself.
Chicago is a historic and continuing world port city due to its location on the
Great Lakes, which has an outlet to the
Atlantic Ocean via the
St. Lawrence Seaway
The St. Lawrence Seaway (french: la Voie Maritime du Saint-Laurent) is a system of locks, canals, and channels in Canada and the United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North Americ ...
. There are two listed properties that are watercraft: the ,
and a U.S. aircraft rescue vehicle,
AVR 661. Two National Historic Landmark ships were formerly located in Chicago, but have been relocated out of state.
To be listed on the National Register, sites must retain their historic integrity, they usually must be 50 years old at least, and their listing must be promoted – or at least not opposed – by the current owner. As a result of these criteria, many historically important sites in Chicago are not yet listed. Over 100 are also among the
City of Chicago-designated landmarks, which include numerous more structures that do not yet meet National Register criteria for historic integrity or for other reasons have not been listed.
[The 108 Chicago Landmarks, which are also Registered Historic Places, can be seen by inspection of List of Chicago Landmarks, which includes a column for date of NRHP listing. All 292 Chicago Landmarks are listed at]
this Chicago Landmarks Commission list
See also
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List of Chicago Landmarks
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Illinois
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List of National Historic Landmarks in Illinois
References
External links
National Register Focus database National Park Service.
{{Chicago
Chicago-related lists