St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran School
Why it's listed
This two-story brick school with a raised basement sits at the southwest corner of West 21st Street and South Hoyne Avenue in Chicago's Lower West Side. Built in 1882 for St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, it served a German-speaking congregation in a largely working-class neighborhood. The building is cubic and symmetrical, with a limestone foundation, reddish-brown brick walls, segmental-arched limestone window lintels, a pressed-metal cornice and a low hipped roof topped by a cupola. Inside, a central hallway with two wooden staircases is flanked by high-ceilinged classrooms. It was listed for its architecture. The nomination compares it with other early schools in nine nearby community areas and finds that it retains its original exterior form, while several older schools have been substantially enlarged. It also stands out as a surviving nineteenth-century church school, a type that was common in Chicago but rarely survives. At the time of the nomination, the building was undergoing rehabilitation after years of water damage and alterations.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is significant under Criterion C as a well-preserved example of a late nineteenth-century Chicago school building, with a symmetrical plan, central corridors and wooden staircases. It keeps its original 1882 exterior form, unlike several older schools in the area that have large additions. It is also one of few surviving nineteenth-century church-built schools in the surrounding community areas.
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 99001710, listed January 27, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2101-2107 W. 21st St., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | January 27, 2000 |
| Reference number | 99001710 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1882 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Under rehabilitation; the form says windows were covered with plywood for security during rehabilitation and that the current owner acquired the building in 1999. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Pilsen Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.85371, -87.67865 (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 99001710.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7590612
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.