Ukrainian Village District facts for kids
The Ukrainian Village District is a special area in Chicago, Illinois. It's full of old homes and buildings. This district is part of the West Town area. It was officially named a Chicago Landmark in 2002. This means its history and buildings are protected. Later, in 2005 and 2007, more parts were added to the district.
Contents
Exploring the Ukrainian Village District
The Ukrainian Village District was first recognized as a landmark on December 4, 2002. This first part included streets like Haddon Avenue, Thomas Street, and Cortez Street. It also covered parts of Damen, Hoyne, and Leavitt Avenues. This area is the oldest part of the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. Homes here were built between the 1880s and the 1920s.
How the District Grew Over Time
In 1886, a man named William D. Kerfoot started building brick homes for workers. He was one of the first real estate developers to rebuild after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. His homes were near Haddon Street and Damen Avenue.
The Walton Street Extension
On July 27, 2005, a new section was added. This was a four-block stretch of Walton Street, between Damen and Western Avenues. This part shows how the Ukrainian Village grew between 1890 and 1905. It has many strong homes, including worker cottages and buildings with two or three apartments. This new section was not directly connected to the first landmark area at first.
More Areas Added in 2007
On April 11, 2007, the district grew even more. Two new areas were added.
- The northern part included parts of Thomas Street, Cortez Street, and Augusta Boulevard. These homes were built from 1910 to 1914.
- The southern part included Iowa Street and Rice Street. Homes here were built from 1910 to 1917.
With these additions in 2007, all the different parts of the Ukrainian Village District finally connected. Now, they are all known together as the Ukrainian Village District.
Churches in the District
There are important churches in the area. The Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral agreed to be part of the landmark district. However, the Saint Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral did not agree. Because of this, their church building, which was built around 1911, is not part of the protected district.
