42nd Precinct Town Hall Police Station (Town Hall Apartments)

The 42nd Precinct Police Station in Chicago's Lakeview community area opened in 1907, replacing the old town hall that once served the rural Lake View community before the town's annexation with the city of Chicago. The building's Classical Revival style speaks to the influence of Classicism on the architecture of government and public buildings in Chicago and its suburbs following the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and the importance placed on police facilities by Chicago in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By the end of the twentieth century, the Lakeview neighborhood had become the nation's first officially recognized gay community. The station closed in 2010 and in 2013, the building was converted into a housing complex that serves LGBT seniors.

Lake View existed as a separate township from 1857 (incorporated formally in 1864) until Chicago annexed it in 1889. The town's origin truly began in 1854 when James Rees and Elisha Hundley built the Lakeview House Hotel near modern-day Lake Shore Drive as a countryside resort for Chicagoans. Wealthy Chicagoans subsequently bought land near Lake Michigan for country homes. Until the early 1870s, Lake View ostensibly resembled a rural "getaway" community, only eclipsing 2,000 people in 1870. However, the town's population enjoyed a boost after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Because of the fire, Chicago banned wood-frame construction in its business area, which inspired people to move to the city's outer edges or nearby suburbs like Lake View, where they could rebuild affordable wood houses and businesses. In 1872, Lake View built its Town Hall building on the property where the historic police station now stands; hence why it's commonly referred to as the Town Hall Police Station. Lake View's population climbed in conjunction with Chicago's rapid growth (Chicago's population soared from 298,000 after the 1871 Great Chicago Fire to 1.1 million by 1890). Lake View also improved its public transportation during the 1880s, making access to Chicago easier. In short, by the 1880s, Lake View had ostensibly transitioned from a rural town to a thriving Chicago suburb. By the 1889 annexation, the Lake View community population exceeded 45,000 people.  

The annexation of Lake View materialized simultaneously, with Chicago's police force expanding substantially, growing from 455 police officers and eleven police stations in 1872 to 1,255 officers at twenty stations in 1888. As demonstrated by the famous Haymarket Affair in 1886, Chicago's police force played a significant role in the rising socio-economic tensions in Chicago. In the view of the local business community and the government, more police proved necessary. The expansion of the Chicago Police Department accelerated further after Chicago annexed Lake View and several other townships. By 1906, the year prior to the erection of the historic Lake View police station building, the city supported almost fifty police stations. 

Concurrently, a need arose to construct several public buildings in the city's new Lake View addition, which included schools, utilities, firehouses, and police stations. Designed in a Classical Revival style speaks to the influence of Classicism on the architecture of government and public buildings in Chicago and its suburbs following the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. With its homage to classical Greek and Roman architecture, the commanding presence of Classic Revival buildings conveyed a sense of security and strength, which fit well with the city's desire to promote the potency of its police force.

Several consolidations and redistricting during the mid-twentieth century resulted in the historic Town Hall Police Station transitioning from its traditional 42nd Precinct home to the home of the new 19th District instead in 1959 and then the 23rd District in 1966. By the twenty-first century, the building showed its age and could no longer adequately serve as a modern law enforcement building. The city closed the building's lockup in 2004 and then closed the station altogether in 2010. Additionally, the neighborhood surrounding the police station changed profoundly by the twenty-first century, transforming into a well-established and publicized gay community. Indeed, the "Boystown Neighborhood" became the nation's first officially recognized gay village, with most of its nightclubs near the police station by the late 1990s. The relationship between the officers and the gay community had well-documented ups and downs. For instance, as noted by CBS News in Chicago, "many in the community were infuriated by allegations that a district officer, Richard Fiorito, had been falsifying police reports and making up DUI charges against drivers in the area, and specifically targeting gays and lesbians. Fiorito was placed on desk duty, but the Cook County State's Attorney's office declined to press criminal charges." In contrast, the Town Hall District created the role of police liaison to the gay and lesbian community.

In 2013, three years after the city closed the station, Heartland Housing Inc., purchased the structure and began the process of constructing a seventy-nine-unit apartment complex for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) seniors, with the historic Town Hall (42nd Precinct) Police Station included in the plan; the city awarded the structure landmark status in 2013, guaranteeing its safety. As of 2023, the historic police station and apartment structure continue to serve LGBT seniors, although financial difficulties for Heartland have left its status as property owners and managers in limbo; Heartland removed its security for the LGBT seniors in April, creating issues for the residents.

Ultimately, the property and its structures have provided a window into the community's history and culture. The original Town Hall served Lake View before its annexation to Chicago transpired. Its transition to a police station demonstrated its connection to the city and its desire to establish a strong law enforcement presence; the architecture reflected Classicism trends with public buildings after the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, including Chicago's police facilities. Today, the building operates as a facility for LGBT seniors, noting nearly forty years of the community becoming one of the nation's most well-known gay neighborhoods. 

Adler, Jane. "Scorching Alteration." Chicago Tribune. March 2, 1997. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-03-02-9703020423-story.html.

Commission on Chicago Landmarks. "42nd Precinct / Town Hall Police Station at 3600 N. Halsted St. Final Landmark Recommendation." Chicago Department of Housing and Economic Development. June 6, 2013. https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/42ndPrecinct_TownHall_PoliceStation.pdf.

Keating, Ann Durkin. Building Chicago: Suburban Developers and the Creation of a Divided Metropolis. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1988. 

Mercado, Melody. "Heartland Housing Loses Control Of 14 Affordable Apartment Properties Due To Financial Woes." Block Club Chicago. June 6, 2023. https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/06/06/heartland-housing-loses-control-of-14-affordable-properties-due-to-financial-woes/.

"Old Town Hall District Police Station To Close." CBS-2 News Chicago. October 14, 2010. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/old-town-hall-district-police-station-to-close/#.

Sperry, Heidi. "Registration Form: 42nd Precinct Police Station." National Register of Historic Places. archives.gov. 2012. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891961.