In the early 2000s the Hyde Park community succeeded (with then-Senator Obama’s help) in blocking a government plan to strip away the quarried step stones around Chicago’s Promontory Point and replace them with a new concrete-and-steel revetment. That important act of preservation incidentally saved the many stone carvings that reside on those blocks — several dozen of the thousands of the carvings that line Chicago’s waterfront.
The concrete-and-steel approach to shoreline reconstruction was nonetheless applied from just north of Promontory Point up to Montrose Harbor. The “shoreline protection project” demolished several miles worth of the old step stones along with hundreds, probably thousands, of carvings, including many magnificent sculptures.
The Hyde Parkers commissioned engineering plans to demonstrate the feasibility of preserving the Point’s historical character by rehabilitating rather than removing the existing step stones. That independent plan did not gain traction with officialdom.
Since then the Point and its beautiful landscaping — including the waterfront structures — has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nothing serious has been done to improve shoreline conditions, however, at least until now. Along with plans to proceed with reconstruction of the Morgan Shoal waterfront to the north, the government is also moving to fund another round of planning for a Promontory Point reconstruction.
Based on the limited information the city has shared, there is currently no evidence for a change of heart when it comes to preserving the historically significant waterfront structures, at least among the bureaucrats. Numerous elected officials, up to and including Mayor Lori Lightfoot, have publicly stated they support a preservation approach to reconstruction of the Point. Some, though not the mayor, have been explicit in supporting plans laid out by the Promontory Point Conservancy, the same folks who led the original preservation effort. So while the Point’s overall richness of character remains at risk, along with the stone carvings, there is cause for some cautious optimism that the old limestone will be mostly preserved.
Planning for the Point is not as advanced as it is for Morgan Shoal, but funding from the federal government was approved in 2022. And although officials say they will fully involve the community in the planning process, it remains to be seen if that claim has substance. It is encouraging that an official with the Army Corps of Engineers has acknowledged the importance of both community involvement and historic preservation. You can read about that in the Hyde Park Herald and a more recent update in the Chicago Sun-Times.
There is much more information about the carvings, and more than 200 images, in my book Lakefront Anonymous: Chicago’s Unknown Art Gallery. Click to order a copy via eBay.
And for more information on the situation at Promontory Point, please visit the Promontory Point Conservancy.