Motor Row District facts for kids
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Motor Row Historic District
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| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
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| Area | 28 acres (11 ha) |
| Built | 1905-1936 |
| Architectural style | Early Commercial, Mission/Spanish Revival |
| MPS | Motor Row, Chicago, Illinois MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001387 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | 2002 |
The Motor Row District is a special historic area in Chicago, Illinois. It's located in the city's Near South Side. This district is famous for being a hub where cars were sold and repaired a long time ago.
Motor Row includes buildings along Michigan Avenue and nearby streets like Indiana Avenue and Wabash Avenue. Most of these buildings were built between 1905 and 1936. Many well-known architects helped design them.
Right after 1900, many cities in the United States started having "auto rows." These were special areas where car companies could easily sell and fix cars. At its busiest time, Motor Row in Chicago had showrooms for 116 different car brands!
Some car brands you know today, like Ford, Buick, Fiat, and Cadillac, once had showrooms here. Other brands that used to be popular but don't exist anymore, like Hudson and Pierce-Arrow, were also found on Motor Row. Today, only one car dealer remains. Many of the old buildings are now apartments, clubs, or shops.
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Exploring Motor Row's Unique Buildings
The buildings in Motor Row show how car showrooms changed over time. They went from simple two-story buildings for display to large buildings with many floors. These bigger buildings had different areas for fixing, storing, painting, and finishing cars.
Many important architects designed these buildings. Some of them include Holabird & Roche, Alfred Alschuler, and Albert Kahn. The buildings often have fancy stone carvings, detailed fronts, and beautiful ironwork. This ironwork often decorated the doorways where cars would enter.
Beyond Cars: Music and News
Even though Motor Row is known for cars, it was also home to other important places. The Chicago Defender newspaper was located here. This newspaper was a very important voice for Chicago's large African American community.
Chess Records, a famous music studio, was also in Motor Row. Many legendary blues artists, like Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, recorded their music there. Even famous rock bands like The Rolling Stones recorded at Chess Records. Today, a radio station called Fearless Radio is in the district.
Motor Row was recognized as a Chicago Landmark on December 13, 2000. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 18, 2002. This means it's a special place worth protecting for its history.
Motor Row's New Life
In recent years, Motor Row has been changing. It's becoming a lively area for music and entertainment. A place called Motor Row Brewing opened in 2015. Another spot, Riff Music Lounge, opened in 2013. These new businesses are bringing more people to the historic district.
Images for kids
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2210 S. Michigan
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2222 S. Michigan
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2200 block S. Michigan
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2400 block S. Michigan
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Former Joyce Ford (now New City Fiat), 2401 S. Michigan
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2300 block S. Michigan
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2337 S. Michigan
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2327-2329 S. Michigan
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2315 S. Michigan
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2200 block S. Michigan
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2245-2251 S. Michigan
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2239 S. Michigan
