The Union Stock Yard Gate, located on Exchange Avenue at Peoria Street, was the entrance to the famous Union Stock Yards in Chicago. The gate was designed by Burnham and Root around 1875, and is the only significant structural element of the stock yards to survive. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1981.[2] The plaza surrounding the gate also includes the city's principal memorial to its firefighters.
The Union Stock Yard Gate is located on Chicago's South Side, on a plaza in the center of Exchange Avenue at its junction with Peoria Street. This position marked the principal eastern entrance to the stock yards, which occupied several hundred acres to the west. It is a limestone construction with a central main arch flanked by two smaller arches. The main arch is 16 feet (4.9 m) wide and 17 feet (5.2 m) high, with the surmounting truncated hip roof giving the structure a total height of 32 feet (9.8 m). The piers of the central arch are topped by conical limestone turrets. The smaller side arches are asymmetrical (one is 6 feet (1.8 m) wide, the other 7.5 feet (2.3 m)), but are similarly styled on a smaller scale. One of the side arches retains an iron grillwork gate, of a style that both would have originally had. The main gate at one time had an iron portcullis.[3]
HistoryEdit
The Union Stock Yard was established in 1865, as a place to centralize the city's growing meatpacking industry. Its early facilities were constructed out of wood, with some elements later rebuilt in stone. This gate was designed by Daniel Burnham and John W. Root, who were responsible for the design of other structures in the yards, and constructed in 1879. The gate and an accompanying gatehouse (since demolished), were the only substantial buildings to survive a fire that leveled the yards in 1934.
Restored in the 1970s, the limestone gate now stands as one of the few reminders of Chicago's past dominance in the meat packing industry. Over the center arch of the gate is a bust of Sherman, stockyard superintendent John D. Sherman's favorite bull.
The gate was designated an official Chicago Landmark on February 24, 1972, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 27, 1972.[1] It was then designated a National Historic Landmark on May 29, 1981. Directly behind the gate is a memorial statue for Chicago firefighters. The statue is located there because of the Chicago Union Stock Yards Fire, and around the base are engraved the names of all Chicago firefighters ever killed in the line of duty.
Current view of the Gate. Firefighters memorial in the center background
Memorial honoring firefighters fallen in the 1910 Stock Yard fire. Located directly behind The Gate
Detail of the gate of the Stockyard Industrial Park, featuring a miniature of The Gate is on W 43rd ST at S Ashland AVE.
Postcard of Union Stock Yards, Chicago, Illinois, circa 1901-1907
union, stock, yard, gate, located, exchange, avenue, peoria, street, entrance, famous, union, stock, yards, chicago, gate, designed, burnham, root, around, 1875, only, significant, structural, element, stock, yards, survive, designated, national, historic, lan. The Union Stock Yard Gate located on Exchange Avenue at Peoria Street was the entrance to the famous Union Stock Yards in Chicago The gate was designed by Burnham and Root around 1875 and is the only significant structural element of the stock yards to survive It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1981 2 The plaza surrounding the gate also includes the city s principal memorial to its firefighters Old Stone Gate Chicago Union Stock YardsU S National Register of Historic PlacesU S National Historic LandmarkChicago LandmarkThe entry to the Union Stock Yards c 1910Show map of Chicago metropolitan areaShow map of IllinoisLocationExchange Ave Chicago IllinoisCoordinates41 49 6 77 N 87 38 54 12 W 41 8185472 N 87 6483667 W 41 8185472 87 6483667Arealess than one acreBuilt1879 1879 ArchitectBurnham amp RootNRHP reference No 72000451 1 Significant datesAdded to NRHPDecember 27 1972 1 Designated NHLMay 29 1981 2 Designated CLFebruary 24 1972 Contents 1 Description 2 History 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDescription EditThe Union Stock Yard Gate is located on Chicago s South Side on a plaza in the center of Exchange Avenue at its junction with Peoria Street This position marked the principal eastern entrance to the stock yards which occupied several hundred acres to the west It is a limestone construction with a central main arch flanked by two smaller arches The main arch is 16 feet 4 9 m wide and 17 feet 5 2 m high with the surmounting truncated hip roof giving the structure a total height of 32 feet 9 8 m The piers of the central arch are topped by conical limestone turrets The smaller side arches are asymmetrical one is 6 feet 1 8 m wide the other 7 5 feet 2 3 m but are similarly styled on a smaller scale One of the side arches retains an iron grillwork gate of a style that both would have originally had The main gate at one time had an iron portcullis 3 History EditThe Union Stock Yard was established in 1865 as a place to centralize the city s growing meatpacking industry Its early facilities were constructed out of wood with some elements later rebuilt in stone This gate was designed by Daniel Burnham and John W Root who were responsible for the design of other structures in the yards and constructed in 1879 The gate and an accompanying gatehouse since demolished were the only substantial buildings to survive a fire that leveled the yards in 1934 Restored in the 1970s the limestone gate now stands as one of the few reminders of Chicago s past dominance in the meat packing industry Over the center arch of the gate is a bust of Sherman stockyard superintendent John D Sherman s favorite bull The gate was designated an official Chicago Landmark on February 24 1972 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 27 1972 1 It was then designated a National Historic Landmark on May 29 1981 Directly behind the gate is a memorial statue for Chicago firefighters The statue is located there because of the Chicago Union Stock Yards Fire and around the base are engraved the names of all Chicago firefighters ever killed in the line of duty nbsp Current view of the Gate Firefighters memorial in the center background nbsp Memorial honoring firefighters fallen in the 1910 Stock Yard fire Located directly behind The Gate nbsp Detail of the gate of the Stockyard Industrial Park featuring a miniature of The Gate is on W 43rd ST at S Ashland AVE nbsp Postcard of Union Stock Yards Chicago Illinois circa 1901 1907See also EditList of National Historic Landmarks in Illinois National Register of Historic Places listings in South Side ChicagoReferences Edit a b c National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 a b Old Stone Gate Chicago Union Stockyards National Historic Landmark summary listing National Park Service Archived from the original on May 28 2008 Retrieved February 4 2008 NHL nomination for Union Stock Yard Gate National Park Service Retrieved April 23 2017 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Union Stock Yard Gate Union Stock Yard Gate a segment from the film Fast Food Nation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Union Stock Yard Gate amp oldid 1169569871, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
