Washington Square Historic District
Why it's listed
Washington Square Historic District occupies part of Chicago's Near North Side around a 316-foot-square park. The American Land Company gave the block to the city in 1842 on condition that it be fenced and kept as a public square forever. The district includes 38 properties, 33 of them contributing, and all contributing buildings date from 1875 to 1902, when the area was rebuilt after the Chicago Fire. Facing the Square are the Newberry Library, designed by Henry Ives Cobb in 1892, and the former Unity Church, now a Scottish Rite Cathedral. Nearby are rowhouses, a former girls' seminary and mansions such as the Shufeldt, Carpenter, Taylor and Lynch houses. Styles include Italianate, Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque and Georgian Revival. The district was recognized for its role as a planned subdivision with a set-aside park and for the quality of its architecture by a cross-section of Chicago architects.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1842-1917 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Italianate, Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival (also High Victorian Gothic, Georgian Revival, Richardsonian Romanesque) |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Washington Square Historic District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.