Preliminary landmark approved for Cortelyou Commons

The Commission on Chicago Landmarks has approved a preliminary landmark recommendation for the John R. Cortelyou Commons. Located at 2324 N. Chalmers on DePaul University’s campus, the building was built by the McCormick Theological Seminary in 1930, where it functioned as a dining hall and central gathering space for the campus. In 1976, DePaul University purchased the building with part of the west end of the McCormick campus when the McCormick Theological Seminary moved to Hyde Park where it remains.  

According to the landmarking report, the building meets Criterion 1 for its heritage. Cortelyou Commons was built as the Commons, or dining hall for the McCormick Theological Seminary and is a rare physical survivor of that institution’s presence in the Lincoln Park neighborhood from 1864 before moving to the Hyde Park neighborhood in 1974 and the building being acquired by neighboring DePaul University.

McCormick Theological Seminary planned the building as part of a complete reconstruction of its campus in the 1920s. Though thwarted by the Great Depression, the seminary’s plan was representative of a broader movement of higher education in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, a period marked by institutional ambition to expand and modernize in response to changing educational and social demands.  

The building is dedicated to Reverend John R. Cortelyou (1914-1996), president of DePaul University from 1964 to 1981, who guided the university through a period of expansion both physically, in the construction of new buildings and acquisition of property like Cortelyou Commons from McCormick Theological Seminary, and academically by revising the curriculum and adding doctoral programs.

The building also meets Criterion 4 for exemplary architecture. With its horizontal proportions, large windows with intricate tracery, buttresses, leaded glass, carved figures and extensive moldings, Cortelyou Commons is an exceptional example of Collegiate Gothic architecture, a substyle of the Late Gothic Revival style of architecture that flourished in America in the late nineteenth century up to the Great Depression.   

Cortelyou Commons embodies the architectural philosophy of the Collegiate Gothic style in creating academic spaces that evoke a sense of timeless scholarly tradition. Its design reflects the broader trend among American universities and institutions to construct buildings that symbolize intellectual gravitas through architectural references to medieval European academic and ecclesiastical structures. The Collegiate Gothic style of architecture offered colleges and universities a functional style of architecture that could be easily adapted as curriculums evolved and which could be easily added to without aesthetic concerns. 

Cortelyou Commons also meets the separate Integrity Criterion as it possesses sufficient integrity to convey its historic architectural and cultural significance. The building remains in its original location and the building's exterior demonstrates a high degree of architectural integrity, with minimal alterations since its original construction. 

The original Indiana limestone remains largely intact, and character-defining features such as the Gothic Revival window configurations, ornamental stonework, and overall architectural composition have been preserved. Minor changes typical of building maintenance, such as potential replacement of some original materials including roof tiles, have been made thoughtfully and do not significantly compromise the building's historic appearance. The fundamental spatial volumes, primary architectural features, and overall design remain substantially unaltered, allowing Cortelyou Commons to effectively communicate its historical and architectural significance.    

With the preliminary landmark recommendation approved, the building is tentatively shielded from any demolition or major alteration. The proposed designation would declare significant features to be protected as all exterior elevations including rooflines of the building. 

The proposed designation will need a final landmark recommendation from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks before heading to City Hall for approvals from the Committee on Zoning and City Council.