Landscape Information
Bounded by 18th Street to the north, 71st Street to the south, and Canal Street to the west (excluding Hyde Park), this irregularly shaped, 5,500-acre precinct is defined by its proximity to the Lake Michigan shore and incorporates approximately 3.5 miles of waterfront. During the Great Migration of the early-twentieth century, many southern African Americans settled on the South Side of Chicago between Cottage Grove Avenue and State Street, altering the neighborhood’s demography. As migration continued, the community expanded southward and, by 1940, encompassed Washington Park. It earned the name Bronzeville in 1930 when James Gentry, a theater editor for the African American-owned Chicago Bee, proposed the term. By the mid-twentieth century the neighborhood had become a center for African American art, culture, and business—often described as Chicago’s Harlem Renaissance.
The Plan of Chicago proposed improvements to the gridded South Side—such as new radial avenues and broadened boulevards—which incorporated the South Park System of the 1870s. The precinct is characterized by linear streets; many are lined with trees and sidewalks and feature a combination of historic Greystones (ca. 1890–1930), with their distinctive limestone facades, and more recent development. Within the district, 76 sites are designated as National Historic Landmarks (e.g., the Robert S. Abbot House and Oscar Stanton DePriest House) or listed in the National Register of Historic Places (e.g., the McClurg Building and Reid House). Washington Park is situated between the area’s two major arteries: the north-south Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and Cottage Grove Avenue, which constitute the western and eastern edges, respectively. The area is also home to several institutions of higher education, including Chicago State University.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive is a contributing feature of the Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. In 2023 Bronzeville-Black Metropolis was designated a National Heritage Area.
