On May 26th, 1880, on the open prairie, the model industrial town of Pullman, Illinois found its beginnings. The town was a tangible expression of an idea born in the mind of George M. Pullman, president of Pullman's Palace Car Company. The Pullman District was the first model of a planned industrial community in the United States and is designated on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pullman decided to develop the community, to rival working class neighborhoods elsewhere. Pullman hoped to avoid strikes, attract more skilled workers and as a result attain greater productivity, health, environment and spirit among his employees.
The 4,000-acre tract of land selected for the site was located along the west shore of Lake Calumet, approximately 13 miles south of Chicago. The site was essentially open prairie and marsh land linked to Chicago and the south states by the Illinois Central Railroad.
Pullman hired Solon S. Berman to be the landscape architect and Nathan F. Barrett, and civil engineer Benzette Williams to translate the plans into a reality. Pullman's Palace Car Company employees were hired to construct the buildings and houses in the Pullman District.
The structures of the town were composed of brick, made from clay from Lake Calumet and fired at a brickyard located to the south of town. Pullman stores produced the component parts used in the buildings of the town, and the project was the first of its kind using industrial technology and mass production on a large scale. The Pullman District had more than 1,000 homes and public buildings completed by 1884, less than four years after its inception.
Each structure was provided with gas and water, access to sanitation facilities and had abundant sunlight and fresh air. Front and back yards had green space; expansive parks and open land were also featured in the neighborhood. Included in the maintenance of the homes were rental prices and daily trash pickup. Because of these factors, Pullman was voted the world's most perfect town at the Prague International Hygienic and Pharmaceutical Expo in 1896.
The Pullman Historic District is a strong community with a devotion to heritage preservation. In 1975, the Pullman Historic Foundation was organized, with the intent of expanding preservation efforts already started and to involve greater resources from the surrounding community.
The state of Illinois purchased the Hotel Florence and the Pullman Clock Factory Tower and administration buildings in 1991. With the acquisition of these structures, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency began the development of the Pullman State Historical Site. Extensive preservation and renovations began taking place in 2000, and continues to the present day.
The Pullman Historic District benefits from a rich and diverse residential community, with some of the residents coming to Pullman expressly for its historical value. Everyone who lives in the Pullman community appreciates the deep sense of history associated with the neighborhood and works hard to preserve its appeal.
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