{"nrhp_refnum":"86001096","name":"Eighth Regiment Armory","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3533 S. Giles Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chicago","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.83072064400005,"lon":-87.61939630799998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-04-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Military","Black","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story brick armory with basement at 3533 South Giles Avenue in Chicago, built in 1914-15 for the Illinois National Guard and designed by architect James B. Dibelka.","why_significant":"It was built as headquarters of the Eighth Regiment, described as the only regiment in the country commanded entirely by Black officers, and as the first armory built for such a regiment. The regiment, known as the \"Fighting 8th,\" was noted for its service on the Mexican border and in World War I. The building also served as a community gathering place.","narrative":"Completed in 1914-15 at a cost of $250,000, this three-story armory at 3533 South Giles Avenue in Chicago housed the Illinois National Guard's Eighth Regiment, the \"Fighting 8th,\" a regiment commanded entirely by Black officers. It replaced a former livery stable that had proved inadequate. State architect James B. Dibelka designed it with brown pressed brick and Bedford limestone trim, a clear-span drill hall, a banquet hall, reception rooms, a dining room and a bowling alley. Neighborhood meetings and social events also took place there. The regiment grew out of a volunteer unit raised in 1898, served on the Mexican border in 1916, and fought in France as part of the 370th U.S. Infantry in World War I. A plaque on the exterior honored the 144 members who did not return, and the street was renamed Giles Avenue in 1922 for Lieutenant George R. Giles. The building is largely original but was vacant when nominated.","period_of_significance":"1914-1915","architect_builder":"J.B. Dibelka, architect","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Largely in original condition, but vacant and slightly deteriorated at the time of the nomination; several proposals had been offered for rehabilitation.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:34.607438-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/46/8910/28891046/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/86001096.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001096/33212023fe-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001096/33212023fe-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Chicago Daily News","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eighth_Regiment_Armory.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Chicago Daily News</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eighth_Regiment_Armory.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891046","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighth_Regiment_Armory_(Chicago)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5349119"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/eighth-regiment-armory-86001096/"}