The Black Metropolis Thematic nomination is comprised of eight individual buildings and one public monument which collectively represent what are among the most significant landmarks of black urban history in the United States. Centered in the vicinity of State and 35th streets on Chicago 's Near South Side, these properties are the tangible remains of what was once a thriving "city -within -a -city " created in the early part of this century by the city's black community as an alternative to the restrictions, exploitations, and indifference that characterized the prevalent attitudes of the city at large.
In contrast to usual urban development patterns of the time where blacks settled in existing neighborhoods and buildings, the community at State and 35th streets was literally built from the ground up with its own economic, social, and political establishment, directly supported by black enterprise and capital. Contemporarily referred to by residents as "the metropolis, " the development had firmly established itself by the turn of the century, and prospered until the 1930s when the Depression and socio-economic conditions virtually halted its further development. - NRHP Nomination Form
| Place | Locale | Type | AsNotedIn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Life-Supreme Life Insurance |
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| Wabash Avenue YMCA |
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| Chicago Bee Building |
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| Eighth Regiment Armory |
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| Overton Hygienic Building |
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| Victory Sculpture, Chicago |
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| Unity Hall |
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| Data | |
|---|---|
| Cultural Affiliation: | Black American |
| Theme group category: | Groups |
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