Armed with paper hearts and signs adorned with positive messages, Landmarks IllinoisThe Skyline Council, a committee of young and emerging professionals, held its annual event to draw attention to a historic building and highlight ongoing efforts to preserve it.
The family-friendly event was held before Valentine’s Day on February 10 at the Schlitz Tied House, located at 958 W. 69th St. in Chicago.
Council members decorated the building with handmade red and pink hearts, as well as signs and other displays highlighting the 125-year-old building’s history and value to the community.
Built in 1898, the two-story Queen Anne-style structure in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood is one of 57 original taverns or “tied houses” commissioned by Milwaukee’s Schlitz Brewery in Chicago in the late 1800s and early 1800s. of the 20th century The Casa Lligada on Carrer 69 is one of the few of these buildings that remain today. The building’s current owner, local activist and leader Jennipher Adkins, hopes to restore and reuse the house as a community gathering space.
“Thank you so much to Landmarks Illinois for showing this old gem some love,” says Adkins. “This event will undoubtedly mark the beginning of a new chapter, which will bring the community together and set the tone for the transformation of the building. I’m grateful for the attention and look forward to the possibilities ahead.”
Photo courtesy of Landmarks Illinois
Alyssa Frystak, president of the Skyline Council, said she hopes the event will generate interest in a South Side landmark in need of attention. “This site tells a unique story of Chicago’s past, and with the right resources and preservation efforts, it can continue to serve the community well into the future,” he says.
Landmarks Illinois provided a pro bono building site condition assessment on the home, conducted by Yes, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc.—to help Adkins develop a conservation plan. Both the assessment and the plan helped Adkins recently apply for an Adopt a Landmark grant from the City of Chicago that, if received, would fund needed repairs to the building.
Since 2018, the Skyline Council has hosted an annual event in honor of Valentine’s Day. The event builds on a national movement that began in 2012 with activists and community members showing their love for abandoned historic properties by stamping them with handmade Valentines. According to the preservation association, it has become an effective and highly public way to activate and draw attention to historic sites in need of preservation resources.
Previous Skyline Council Valentine’s Day events have taken place at the Harley Clarke Mansion in Evanston, Altgeld Gardens in Chicago and the old Will County Courthouse in Joliet.
