Mar 4, 2025 - Development

Preservation Chicago's latest watchlist of endangered buildings

Carrie Shepherd

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An Italianate building in front of skyscrapers and on a city street. — The Delaware Building. 1872-1874, Wheelock & Thomas, with 1889 addition by Julius Huber at 36 W. Randolph. Photo: Courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers.

Each year, Preservation Chicago compiles a list of historic buildings in danger of being destroyed or simply abandoned.

Zoom in: The seven endangered buildings revealed Tuesday are mostly located in Chicago neighborhoods.

In addition to the buildings' history and significance, Preservation Chicago offers recommendations for future use.

The Delaware Building, corner of Randolph and Dearborn

McDonald's leases the first two floors, but closed the restaurant during the pandemic, leaving the lower floors vacant and in need of care.

Clarence Darrow Memorial Bridge/Columbia Bridge, Jackson Park

Photo of a bridge over still water with trees. — Clarence Darrow Memorial Bridge/Columbia Bridge. 1880, Burnham and Root, in Jackson Park at 1766 Columbia Dr. Photo: Courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers

The bridge has been closed since 2013, but money has already been set aside for its rehabilitation because of its proximity to the future Obama Presidential Center. But advocates worry those repairs won't come to fruition.

Joseph Jacob (J.J.) Walser House, Austin

Prairie style house with green grass and a woman in front using a cane. — J.J. Walser House with former owner Anne Teague. 1903, Frank Lloyd Wright, 42 N. Central Ave. Photo: Courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house has been vacant since 2019 and is now in foreclosure, but Preservation Chicago says renovation is needed as it's a good example of Wright's Prairie School Design.

Olivet Baptist Church, Douglas

Gothic Revival church. — Olivet Baptist Church, 1876, Wilcox and Miller, 3101 S. King Dr. Photo: Courtesy of Serhii Chrucky/Esto

Home to one of Chicago's oldest African American congregations, the Baptist church was integral during the Great Migration and Civil Rights Movement. Fewer people attending the church has led to its decline.

Central Manufacturing District Clock Tower, McKinley Park

Red brick clock tower with the skyline of Chicago in the background. — Central Manufacturing District Clock Tower, 1917, Samuel Scott Joy, 2000 W. Pershing Road. Photo: Courtesy of Serhii Chrucky/Esto

The area where the clock tower is located was built as the first industrial park in the U.S., but it's long been vacant and left in disrepair.

Western Boulevard Industrial Buildings, Back of the Yards

Red brick industrial building with snow on the ground. — Western Boulevard Industrial Buildings, 4200 to 4500 S. Western Blvd. Photo: Courtesy of Serhii Chrucky/Esto

Some of the buildings along one of Chicago's historic boulevards are still in use, and many still have their original architectural features attached. The cluster is a reminder of the southwest side neighborhood's industrial roots.

St. Martin's Church, Englewood

Shot of Italianate Church with red door. — St. Martin's Church, 1895, Henry J. Schlacks, 5848 S. Princeton Ave. Photo: Courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers

Originally built for the area's German Catholic population, the Gothic Revival church changed to a Black evangelical church in the 1990s, reflective of the area's demographic shifts. It's been vacant since 2017.