Black Metropolis–Bronzeville District

For the book, see Black Metropolis.

The Black Metropolis–Bronzeville District is a historic African-American district in the Bronzeville neighborhood of the Douglas community area on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois.

Bronzeville location map

Chicago Bee Building.

Chicago Eighth Regiment Armory.

The neighborhood encompasses the land between the Dan Ryan Expressway to the west, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to the east, 31st Street to the north, and Pershing Road (39th street) to the south.

The Bronzeville–Black Metropolis National Heritage Area was established in the National Heritage Area Act in 2022.^[1] The National Heritage Area will help preserve more than 200 locations in the neighborhood between 18th and 71st Streets.^[2]

Description

The historic district includes nine structures that were accorded the Chicago Landmark designation on September 9, 1998.^[3] These buildings are:

• Overton Hygienic Building
• Chicago Bee Building
• Wabash Avenue YMCA
• Chicago Defender Building
• Unity Hall
• Eighth Regiment Armory
• Sunset Cafe
• Victory Monument
• Supreme Life Building.

Six of the nine were already individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places−NRHP as a multiple property submission, on 30 April 30, 1986. These are the Overton Hygienic Building, Chicago Bee Building, Wabash Avenue YMCA, Unity Hall, Eighth Regiment Armory, and Victory Monument. However, the Black Metropolis–Bronzeville District is not an NRHP-listed historic district.

The South Side Community Art Center is also now a designated Chicago Landmark in the district.

Victory Monument.

See also

• Black Metropolis
• Bronzeville (Douglas, Chicago)
• National Register of Historic Places listings in South Side Chicago
• Pekin Theatre