Chicago got a unique new museum last week with the grand opening of the nation’s first museum devoted to the history and impact of public housing.
Located on Chicago’s near West Side, it’s located in the last remaining building of the Jane Addams Homes, a public housing project built in 1938.
The museum’s grand opening, seen above, was the culmination of an 18-year campaign to save the building and create the museum, largely founded by present and former public housing residents.
Sunny Fischer, Co-Founder and Board Chair told the crowd that “This museum was built by hundreds of dedicated people who have made it a reality… They shared their stories, and they patiently provided their labor and love and support over the last 18 years… we join museums around the world committed to telling complicated and difficult stories, preserving history, and imagining a more just future.”
Another speaker, Francine Washington, chair of the Chicago Housing Authority’s advisory committee and a museum board member said “Growing up in public housing, I saw the strength, pride, and resilience of our communities, which are too often erased. This Museum is personal. It’s the first in the country to tell our stories–not just the bricks and buildings but the people who made public housing, home. We’ve always had a voice. Now we have a place that listens.”
Image: Barry Brecheisen/National Public Housing Museum
