ORDINANCE
John Lothrop Motley School
729-759 N. Ada St. 1337-1347 W. Chicago Ave.
WHEREAS, pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Municipal Code of Chicago (the "Municipal Code"), Sections 2-120-630 through -690, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks (the "Commission") has determined that the John Lothrop Motley School Building (the "Building"), located at 739 N. Ada St., Chicago, Illinois, legally described in Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein, satisfies three (3) criteria for landmark designation as set forth in Section 2-120-620 (1), (4) and (5) ofthe Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, the Building exemplifies the importance of Chicago's public schools to the City's social and cultural history; and
WHEREAS, public education has historically been one ofthe most important responsibilities of Chicago government, and public school buildings often are visual and social anchors in the City's neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, opened in 1885, the Motley School has been one such anchor institution in Chicago's West Town neighborhood for almost 130 years; and
WHEREAS, the Building's design and expansion during the late nineteenth century reflect Chicago's historic position as a major center of immigration; and
WHEREAS, the school served the West Town community, which was one of Chicago's largest foreign-born and first-generation populations; and
WHEREAS, social reform in public education is also reflected in Motley School's rapid expansion, as national laws aimed at reducing child labor and city laws requiring school attendance made education more attainable and increased attendance in Chicago's public school system; and
WHEREAS, the Building is a handsome example of a school building, a building type of significance to the history of Chicago and its neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, the Building was finely executed with Renaissance Revival and Italianate style details in traditional materials, including red pressed-brick, limestone, and pressed metal, and exempl...
Click here for full text