East Village Association records, ca. 1984-2014

Advance appointment required to view color material in cold storage; please email research@chicagohistory.org.

This collection is open for research use.

Gift of Marjorie Isaacson and Dan Johnson (accession #: 2016.0015).

Please cite collection as East Village Association records plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

Minutes and agendas, membership rosters, notes and correspondence, publicity materials, photographs and slides, research files, surveys, newsletters, and other materials documenting the East Village Association's activities in historic preservation, neighborhood safety and development, and city politics.

The East Village Association was founded in 1982 by long term residents interested in address quality of life issues in their neighborhood. The East Village neighborhood comprises a subset of the West Town community area falls with the following boundaries: Division Street (1200 North) to the north, Chicago Avenue (800 North) to the south, Milwaukee Avenue (800-1600 West) to the East and Damen Avenue (2000 West) to the West. Significant initiatives led by the Association include the creation of the Frankie Machine Community Garden (Wood St. and Haddon St.) as part of the Neighborspace program, the preservation of the Goldblatt's Department Store building and its conversion into the West Town Public Library (1625 W. Chicago Ave.), and the successful initiative to create the East Village Landmark District.

Related materials at the Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the newsletter of the East Village Association, cataloged separately (titled both "News" and "East Village News").

• NamesEast Village Association--Archives
• Subject
  • Citizens' associations--Illinois--Chicago
  • City planning--Illinois--Chicago
  • Community organizations--Illinois--Chicago
  • Historic preservation--Illinois--Chicago--Societies, etc.
• Geographic CoverageWest Town (Chicago, Ill.)

The collection is arranged in five series. The arrangement adheres closely to the original order; within the series, original folder level arrangement and titles were retained.

Series 1. Administrative Materials, 1984-2014, undated

This series contains bylaws, organization goals, minutes and agendas, budgets and financial documents, fundraising and PR materials, membership rosters, member surveys and other materials documenting the general operations and activities of the Association. Also included are color photographs of social gatherings as well as notes and correspondence from founding member Marjorie Isaacson. Photographic materials include images of neighborhood barbecues, gatherings and meetings, c. 1994-2000 and undated.

Series 2. Development and Zoning, 1985-2014

This series contains information about development and planning, zoning, and preservation concerns and activities. Topics covered include zoning violations, the preservation of the Goldblatt's Department Store building and its conversion into the West Town Public Library (1625 W. Chicago Ave.), efforts to save decommissioned St. Boniface Catholic Church, and the successful initiative to create the East Village Landmark District. Also included are materials from the meetings and operations of the Planning Subcommittee of the Association, and black and white color photographs of neighborhood houses, businesses, and streetscapes, and Goldblatt's building preservation activities and protests.

Series 3. Crime and Safety, 1985-2002

This series contains correspondence, flyers, meeting notes and other materials documenting the Association's concerns over crime and safety, including community policing initiatives, graffiti prevention and cleanup, violent crime, and liquor laws and licenses.

Series 4. Beautification and Green Space, 1995-2014

This series contains correspondence, flyers, notes, research materials, and other materials documenting the Association's work on developing and maintaining parks and greenspace, eliminating litter, and other issues. Topics covered include graffiti and neighborhood cleanup events, Eckhart Park, and the creation of the Frankie Machine Community Garden as a Neighborspace project. This series also include photographs of several 1997 projects, including the Clean and Green events for Chicago Avenue and Division Street.

Series 5. Other Projects, 1987-2012

This series contains correspondence, notes, flyers, and other materials documenting initiatives and projects of the Association. This series also includes photographs of a circa 1994 protest of Manufacturers Bank related to concerns about neighborhood redlining and discrimination in lending and of a youth basketball team for Commercial Park.