Grand Boulevard (Bronzeville) in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Forum
1897
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, August 27, 2021
1. The Forum Marker
has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior
Designed by Samuel Treat and built by ethnic European craftsmen for owners William E. and Elizabeth Thatcher Kent in 1897, The Forum became a center of retail, community, and politics in Chicago's Black Metropolis, addressing a culture of segregation which restricted Blacks from shopping, gathering, and entertaining in other parts of the city.
The Forum contains Forum Hall, Bronzeville's oldest social hall and one of the most significant assembly spaces on the South Side. Forum Hall hosted a range of events such as political speeches by Oscar Stanton De Priest and Dr. Emil G. Hirsch; meetings of families, social clubs, unions, and fraternal organizations; performances by Nat King Cole, Floyd Campbell, and Capt. Walter Dyett; and civil rights activities including the Chicago Scottsboro Defense Conference and Freedom Riders.
After falling into disrepair in the 1980s, The Forum was saved from demolition in 2011 by Bernard Loyd, a neighborhood resident, as part of the Build Bronzeville community revitalization effort.
ENTERED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER APRIL 16, 2019
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
this page online
Location. 41° 49.003′ N, 87° 37.117′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Grand Boulevard (Bronzeville). It is at the intersection of East 43rd Street and South Calumet Avenue, on the left when traveling east on East 43rd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 318-328 East 43rd Street, Chicago IL 60653, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bessie Coleman (approx. Ό mile away); The Marx Brothers (approx. 0.3 miles away); Oscar DePriest (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Nat "King" Cole (approx. 0.4 miles away); Wendell Phillips High School (approx. half a mile away); Giles-Calumet (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
Also see . . .
1. How Art Helps Save Historic Places (The Arch, August 2021). Landmarks Illinois' newsletter briefly mentions the Forum's artwork. (Submitted on January 8, 2022.)
2. The Forum. Build Bronzeville website entry (Submitted on March 11, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
3. The Forum. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPGallery Digital Asset Management
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, August 27, 2021
2. The Forum and marker
Above the building's beltline are three murals forming a tryptych of sorts, with the Nat King Cole (painted by Sam Kirk in 2019) flanked by Margaret Burroughs and Gwendolyn Brooks (both painted by Dorain Sylvain and sons, also 2019). Below the beltline are a number of yarn pennants of 2021 vintage by "Yarn Bomber" Valerie Sherman and friends.
courtesy of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 1970s
3. The Forum
As part of the fundraising efforts to restore the Forum, a number of historical photos of the Forum, including this one, and it surroundings are placed along the exterior of the building.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 8, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 1,721 times since then and 123 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 8, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
