Chicago Vocational High School: 2025 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

Location:

2100 E. 87th St., Chicago, Cook County

Year built:

1938-1943

Architect:

John Charles Christensen, architect for the Chicago Board of Education

Current owner:

Chicago Public Schools

(Photo credit: Paul Morgan)

Historic Significance

Chicago Vocational High School (CVS), now known as Chicago Vocational Career Academy, is a complex of four buildings: a main school building, a 1941 aircraft hangar and two WWII-era outbuildings. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) built it as a vocational training school to prepare people for a skilled craft. When the main building was completed in 1940, the Chicago Sunday Tribune called it “the most modern and best equipped [sic] trade school in the United States.” From 1941 to 1946, the U.S. Navy operated the school as a training facility for aircraft repair. After World War II, the school resumed civilian vocational training, at one time offering up to 30 programs. In 2022, the school was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it is still in use as a vocational public high school. The main building is the largest non-skyscraper example of Art Deco design in Chicago and the entire complex is a visual landmark for Chicago’s Avalon Park neighborhood and for drivers on the Chicago Skyway.

(Photo credit: Paul Morgan)

Current threat

CVS was constructed to serve up to 6,000 students, but current enrollment is under 900. The 2018 CPS Educational Facilities Master Plan identifies the school as underutilized. The school’s “Anthony Wing”— located along Anthony Avenue and completed in 1943 to house the heavy industry vocational programs —is not in use. A previous proposal to demolish this unused part of the school has been delayed indefinitely due to a lack of funds. Still, the wing’s masonry reveals the impacts of vibration from its proximity to the highly traveled Chicago Skyway toll road. Although CPS invested $56 million in upgrades to CVS in 2015, ongoing low enrollment continues to raise questions about the future of “the pride of the South Side.”

(Photo credit: Paul Morgan)

Preservation Solution

Designating CVS as a Chicago Landmark would be an essential step in framing conversations about the future of the campus. Chicago Vocational High School Restoration Project is a group of CVS alumni advocating for local landmark designation, which would protect the school from future demolition and inappropriate redevelopment. CVS could be used to provide much-needed training to address the ongoing shortage of construction trade workers. According to Associated Builders and Contractors, the construction industry is expected to need nearly one million new workers through 2026 to meet market demands. The school already provides a carpentry curriculum.

(Photo credit: Paul Morgan)

Take Action

Express your support for Chicago Landmark designation to the Chicago Board of Education and Chicago Alderman Michelle Harris.

(Photo credit: Paul Morgan)

Michael L. Mims

C.V.S Restoration Project, Inc.

“Chicago Vocational High School stands as a powerful symbol of architectural grandeur, educational innovation and community pride. Its striking Art Deco-Modernist design reflects the city’s industrious spirit. At the same time, its legacy of playing a vital role during World War II in training service members and workers in support of the nation’s defense efforts underscores its national significance. For generations, this landmark has equipped students with essential trade skills, shaping Chicago’s workforce and strengthening its communities. Preserving this historic institution not only honors its proud past and safeguards a vital piece of the city’s heritage but also ensures it continues to inspire and uplift future generations.”

(Photo credit: Paul Morgan)