Area less than one acre Architect Burnham & Root Designated NHL May 29, 1981 Added to NRHP 27 December 1972 | Built 1879 NRHP Reference # 72000451 Opened 1879 | |
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Location Exchange Ave., Chicago, Illinois Address South Union Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609, USA Similar Union Stock Yards, Bubbly Creek, Victory Monument, Statue of the Republic, Heald Square Monument | ||
The Union Stock Yard Gate, located on Exchange Avenue at Peoria Street, was the entrance to the famous Union Stock Yards in Chicago. The gate was designed by John Wellborn Root of Burnham and Root around 1875.
History
The gate was commissioned by the superintendent of the yards at the time, John B. Sherman. The limestone gate still stands as one of the few reminders of Chicago's past dominance in the meat packing industry. Over the arch of the gate, Root included a now famous bust of "Sherman," the favorite prize-winning bull of John B. Sherman. The gate was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 27, 1972. It was then designated a National Historic Landmark on May 29, 1981. The gate was designated an official Chicago Landmark on February 24, 1972. Directly behind the gate is a memorial statue for Chicago firefighters. The statue is located there because of the Chicago Union Stock Yards Fire, and around the base are engraved the names of all Chicago firefighters ever killed in the line of duty.