For this week’s list of special events in architecture and history, we are highlighting a talk of unexpected stories of downtown buildings, a workshop to discover and preserve this history of your home and neighborhood, and a discussion on improvement projects in historic Jackson Park.

1. Unexpected Stories of Nearby Buildings You Never Knew – Union League Club, 65 W. Jackson Blvd., Library

TALK – Wednesday, March 12th, 5:30pm

FREE, Reservations required – send names of all guests to [email protected]

Join Chicago Detours Executive Director Amanda Scotese for a discussion on the unexpected history and stories behind buildings in the financial district. The talk will feature the Continental Bank Building, home of one of the biggest bank failures in history, and the Marquette Building, home of the MacArthur Foundation and the quirky John D. MacArthur. She’ll talk about the interesting and sometimes weird uses of the Union League Clubhouse over history, including a secret bar. The presentation is free and open to non-members, allowing outsiders a rare glimpse at the club’s beautiful architectural interiors.

2. Discover Your Home’s History Workshop – Blackstone Branch Public Library, 4904 S. Lake Park Ave.

WORKSHOP – Wednesday, March 12th, 6:00pm-7:30pm

FREE – reservations required (RSVP at 773.329.4243)



Ever wondered about the history of your house or been curious about the development of your neighborhood? As part of the NHS Chicago Vintage Home Series, architectural historian and historic preservation consultant Carla Bruni gives you the tools to discover the history of the places that matter to you. Also included in this special event in architecture will be a lesson on how to get your home, block, or neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with insights into the potential tax benefits associated with National Register designation.

3. Garden of the Phoenix, Jackson Park – Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Claudia Cassidy Auditorium

LECTURE – Thursday, March 13th, 12:15pm

FREE

Robert Karr, Jr., an attorney, author, and urban parks advocate will discuss the improvement of Jackson Park through projects he is leading including the Garden of the Phoenix, one of the most important sites in America reflecting the past and the future of U.S.-Japan relations. In 2013, over 120 cherry blossom trees were planted in and around this site to commemorate its extraordinary history and to usher in a new era of the Garden the relationship between these two nations in Chicago. The lecture is part of the Friends of the Parks’ Walter Netsch Lecture Series.