Class Description
This class is full but you can still register for the waitlist!
This class explores what has transpired in the almost eighty-five years between the publication of the book Old Chicago Houses, written by journalist John Drury, and today. The book collects 110 columns that originally appeared in the Chicago Daily News, each an intimate, idiosyncratic profile of a venerable Chicago house. Combining lectures, discussions, and walking tours, the class picks up where Drury left off and takes a deep look at three neighborhoods featured in the book to determine which historic houses endure, which have vanished, and how new research and changing attitudes toward architectural preservation have shaped Chicagoans' relationship with their built environment.
Please read our Walking Tour Policies. The rain date is November 5.
Paul Durica is the Director of Exhibitions at the Chicago History Museum, a position he also held at the Newberry. Since 2008, he has produced a series of talks, walks, and reenactments focused on Chicago's past and appears regularly on radio and TV talking about the city's history. He has a PhD in English from the University of Chicago.
What to Expect
Format: In Person
Class Capacity: 24
Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged
Materials List
Required
- Instructor-Distributed Materials
First Reading
- Please read the "Forward" and "Part I: Pioneer Days" from John Drury's Old Chicago Houses, sent by the instructor.
A Brief Syllabus
- Old Chicago Houses
- Walking Tour: Near North Side and On the Gold Coast
- Walking Tour: Near Lincoln Park
- Walking Tour: Early Hyde Park
Cost and Registration
4 Sessions, $175 ($157.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($175), Community Supported ($160), and Sponsor ($185). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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