South Shore Cultural Center

Infobox_nrhp | name =South Shore Country Club
nrhp_type =


caption = Entrance to the South Shore Cultural Center
location= 71st St. and S. Shore Dr., Chicago, Illinois
lat_degrees = 41
lat_minutes = 46
lat_seconds = 11
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 87
long_minutes = 33
long_seconds = 46
long_direction = W
locmapin = Illinois
area =
built =1908
architect= Unknown
architecture= No Style Listed
added = March 04, 1975
governing_body = Local
refnum=75000652cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The South Shore Cultural Center, in Chicago, Illinois, is a cultural facility located at 71st Street and South Shore Drive, in the city's South Shore neighborhood. It encompasses the grounds of the former South Shore Country Club.

The South Shore Country Club was founded in 1905 as a suburban counterpart to the urban clubs of Chicago, such as the Athletic Club. The original building was built at that time, designed by architects Marshall and Fox in a Mediterranean Revival style. In 1909, a theater was added, but in 1916, Marshall and Fox were engaged to design a newer building, still in the Mediterranean Revival style. This is the building that still stands.

Besides the main clubhouse, the Country Club also had stables, a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, a bowling green, and a private beach on Lake Michigan.

By the early 1960s, the character of the neighborhood was changing rapidly. As Hyde Park, Woodlawn, and South Shore became racially integrated, the wealthy whites who formed the membership in the club started to leave the neighborhood in droves. In 1967, the club considered opening its membership to Jews (for the first time since the 1930s) and African Americans (for the first time ever). The decision at that time not to open membership accelerated the decline of the club; in 1973, the decision was made to liquidate its assets, and in 1975, the property was sold to the Chicago Park District for $9,775,000.

It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

A coalition of neighborhood activists and historic preservationists successfully convinced the Park District not to demolish the buildings. Instead, the facility was renamed the South Shore Cultural Center. Over two decades, the main buildings were slowly renovated and repurposed. Other buildings were torn down.

Today the Cultural Center houses the "South Shore Cultural Center School of the Arts" (youth and teen programs, community art classes, the Paul Robeson Theatre, a Fine Art Gallery, two dance studios, music practice rooms, and a visual arts studio with a kiln). In addition, there are banquet facilities for rent for weddings, receptions, and meetings. The golf course is still in operation, and is open to the public, as are the beach, picnic areas, gardens, and a nature center. The horse stables are currently used by the Chicago Police Department's mounted unit.

It competes with the Jackson Park 63rd Street Beach House and Promontory Point as South Side beachfront special use facilities in the Park District.

References

External links

* [http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/custom.spf/spf/SPF810DFB27_D0B7_75AB_4D9AA7257AC419C4 Official Chicago Park District Page]