St. Ignatius College
Also known as: St.Ignatius College Prep.
Why it's listed
Rising five stories on Chicago's West Side, this T-shaped school building was raised for the Jesuits in 1869-1870 under Father Arnold Damen. Its ground floor is faced in Illinois cut stone, with brick above, stone-trimmed windows and decorative corner quoins. A formal double staircase with an original wrought iron balustrade leads to carved lion's-head doors and an etched-glass transom. Inside, hardwood trim, tin ceilings and wide curving staircases survive, and the two-story Cambridge Room has carved bookcases and a balcony. Construction cost about $230,000, an enormous sum then, and was financed partly by money Damen secured in Holland. Jesuit leaders wanted a building grand enough to compete with Protestant colleges and public schools. It is a rare large pre-fire Catholic school still standing in Chicago and has remained in educational use for over a century. A classroom wing was added at the rear in 1895 as enrollment grew.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that a pre-fire Catholic school of this scale and magnificence is remarkable to find still standing in Chicago. It reflects the determination of the American Jesuits to have the finest educational facilities, and the zeal of Father Arnold Damen, who founded it. The building has been used for education for 105 years.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 77000480, listed November 17, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1076 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | November 17, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000480 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1869-1870 |
| Architectural style | Eclectic |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and still used as a school; condition marked good and altered. A rear wing was added in 1895. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.86747, -87.65168 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 77000480.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q780366
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.