Commission on Chicago Landmarks facts for kids
The Commission on Chicago Landmarks is a special group in Chicago that helps protect important buildings and places. It was started in 1968 by a city law. This group has nine members chosen by the Mayor and the Chicago City Council. Their main job is to suggest buildings, places, or even whole neighborhoods that should become official Chicago Landmarks. When something is a landmark, it gets special legal protection to keep it safe for the future. The Landmarks Division of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development helps the Commission do its work.
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What Makes a Landmark Special?
To become a protected landmark, a building or area needs to meet at least two important rules. These rules help decide if a place is truly special to Chicago's history and look.
Important Reasons for Landmark Status
A place might become a landmark if it is:
- A really important part of Chicago's history and culture.
- Where a big event happened.
- Connected to a famous or important person.
- An example of amazing architecture (how buildings are designed).
- Designed by a very important architect (building designer).
- Part of a neighborhood with a special and unique look or theme.
- A place with a truly unique visual feature that stands out.
Keeping Landmarks Safe
Besides meeting these rules, a building or area must also look mostly like it did when it was first built or became important. This is called having "architectural integrity."
The Commission also checks any plans to change, tear down, or build new things near landmarks. They do this as part of the building permit process. This helps make sure that Chicago's landmarks stay protected and don't get damaged or changed too much.
How Many Landmarks Are There?
By January 2005, Chicago had officially named 259 places as landmarks. This included 217 single buildings or sites, 38 whole landmark neighborhoods, and four extensions to existing landmark areas. In total, this meant about 6,500 properties were protected.
