Seven architectural remnants on loan from the Maxwell Street Foundation are on display in Special Collections and University Archives now through the end of the spring 2019 semester. The exhibit brings visibility to the work of noted architects who contributed to the historic streetscapes of the Maxwell Street neighborhood.
The architectural fragments were collected by the Maxwell Street Foundation beginning in 1995 after many buildings comprising the Maxwell Street neighborhood had been demolished for the Dan Ryan expressway, urban renewal and redevelopment. They are selected from four buildings formerly located on Roosevelt Road and Halsted Street that served as the main intersection and gateway to the world-famous open-air market on Maxwell Street, south of Roosevelt Road. In 1994, the Sunday market was relocated by the city of Chicago from its historic site. Today, the Maxwell Street Market operates on Desplaines Avenue north of Roosevelt Road where street vendors perpetuate the city’s official open-air street market in the tradition of Maxwell Street.
The Maxwell Street Foundation's mission is to preserve the history of the Maxwell Street neighborhood through public programs and other forms of outreach to Chicago-area communities.
The "Maxwell Street Architectural Remnants" will be on display at the Richard J. Daley Library, Third Floor, through May 2019 when the Special Collections and University Archives department is open. For current hours, visit the Library’s website. For more information, call Special Collections and University Archives at (312) 996-2742.