Seats of Power in a few Square Blocks

Since Chicago was incorporated, its major government buildings, along with many county and state buildings, have been located within a few contingent blocks in the loop. This historical concentration of government power has lent a certain significance to the area while the architectural styles adopted have allowed them to assume an accompanying gravitas. This discussion will examine the structures that have served as city hall, the courthouses that gradually broke away from the city halls, and the current government buildings that occupy the historic blocks bounded by Lake, Dearborn, Washington and LaSalle Streets.

Meet the program presenter: 

Karen Dimond, CAC docent, Class of 1979, has spent her career representing government bodies and officials. She was licensed to practice law in 1980 and has served as an Assistant Illinois Attorney General, a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney, and a Cook County Deputy Public Defender. She has spent years working in each of the still-standing buildings she will discuss. Karen has been a docent and has practiced law for over 40 years, two interesting and challenging avocations that align with her love of history.