Pilsen in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Cermak Road Bridge

Chicago Landmark District

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 10, 2026

1. Cermak Road Bridge Marker

Inscription. These four massive industrial buildings clustered around the City's last-remaining double-leaf Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge form the finest intact, early 20th-century riverfront precinct in Chicago. Originally housing wholesale grocers, window shade manufacturers and other enterprises, the buildings represent an almost vanished aspect of the City's historic industrial character.

Erected by Commission on Chicago Landmarks, Coty of Chicago.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Illinois, Chicago Landmarks Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 2006.

Location. 41° 51.168′ N, 87° 38.48′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Pilsen. It is at the intersection of West Cermak Road and South Lumber Street, on the right when traveling west on West Cermak Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 500 West Cermak Road, Chicago IL 60616, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Chicago’s West Side. It

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is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in 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: A different marker also named Cermak Road Bridge (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Material Recycling / Reciclaje de Material (approx. 0.3 miles away); Chinese American Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Confucius 551-479 B.C. The Great Educator, Philosopher and Statesman of China (approx. 0.4 miles away); Ping Tom (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dr. Sun Yet-San (approx. half a mile away); Ping Tom Memorial Park (approx. half a mile away); All As One Mural (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. As is typical for this style of marker from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, this sign includes a map of the historic district, and both the front

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 10, 2026

2. Cermak Road Bridge Marker

and back are identical. A duplicate of this sign can be found on the east side of the bridge.

Cermak Road is also known by its earlier name, 22nd Street. It was renamed in March 1933 in honor of Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who a month earlier was assassinated by a gunman who had been aiming for President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Regarding Cermak Road Bridge. This small historic district includes both the namesake bridge, which traverses the Chicago River's South Branch, and four buildings near it. It was designated a Chicago Landmark in April 2006.

Also see . . .
1. Cermak Road Bridge (22nd Street Bridge). From HistoricBridges.org.

Excerpt: "Today this type of movable bridge is in fact known as a Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge. In Chicago, where the city usually built trunnion bascule bridges, this is the only remaining example of this bridge type on Chicago's roads. The city preferred the trunnion bascule bridge over the rolling lift bridge because rolling lift bridges shift the dead load on the abutments, which tends to wear out and damage the abutments over time on the unstable soil conditions that were found
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 10, 2026

3. Cermak Road Bridge
in Chicago. The city became very adept at designing trunnion bascule bridges, and so nearly all of the trunnion bascule bridges in Chicago were designed in-house by the city. The Cermak Road Bridge however, as a rolling lift bridge, was not designed by the city, but was designed by the Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company which obviously specialized in the rolling lift design."

(Submitted on October 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Cermak Road Bridge District. This page by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks includes photos of the buildings included in the historic district. (Submitted on October 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Cermak Road Bridge from the north image. Click for full size.

Historic American Buildings Survey, courtesy of Library of Congress

4. Cermak Road Bridge from the north

Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 10, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3, 4. submitted on October 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.