While Chicago is renowned for its well-designed banks, houses, churches, and towering skyscrapers, the city's public schools rarely receive the architectural recognition they deserve. However, Chicago's educational buildings, particularly those constructed between the late 1800s and early 1900s, represent some of the city's most architecturally distinctive structures. These buildings stand as monuments to the ideals of free public education, a fitting reminder as students return to school each year.
Among the most exceptional examples are the 40 schools designed by Dwight Perkins during his five-year tenure as the school system's chief architect. The Chicago History Museum recently highlighted Perkins' remarkable contributions in a back-to-school announcement, drawing attention to his enduring architectural legacy. His work represents an extraordinary departure from the neo-Gothic and Greek Revival templates that dominated educational architecture of that era.
The most famous of Perkins' school designs is the sprawling Carl Schurz High School, located at 3601 N. Milwaukee Avenue. This Prairie School masterpiece has earned recognition as both a city landmark and a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Other notable examples of his work include Harper High School at 6520 S. Wood Street, the former Trumbull Elementary at 5200 N. Ashland Avenue, and Bowen High School at 2710 E. 89th Street, which serves as Schurz's unsung twin, though it lacks landmark designation.
"In terms of open space, the Progressive Movement, the Prairie School, he was chief architect for the public schools at a time when all of these movements were coming together," explained Eleanor Gorski, President and CEO of the Chicago Architecture Center. "He was able to wrap all of these [movements] together in a dramatic, beautiful architectural package." Perkins designed these 40 predominantly Prairie School-styled buildings between 1905 and 1910, during a pivotal moment in American architectural history.
Perkins' school buildings were characterized by their lively and colorful brick and terra-cotta construction. Some designs, particularly Harper High and George W. Tilton Elementary at 221 N. Keebler Avenue, featured almost Mayan and Egyptian influences in their detail and form. Other schools, such as Schurz and Bowen, embodied the Prairie School aesthetic with exposed brick piers, broad overhanging roofs, and horizontal ranks of windows that emphasized the horizontal plane typical of the movement.
Creating generous open spaces around the schools became another signature element of Perkins' architectural philosophy. This approach is particularly evident at Schurz High School, where he strategically positioned the building on a triangular 8-acre site to maximize both the structure's presence and the surrounding green space. "You go in any neighborhood where his school buildings are, they stand out – in a city with tons of famous architects," Gorski noted, emphasizing the lasting impact of Perkins' designs.
Despite his architectural achievements, Perkins' tenure with the school system ended abruptly when he was fired. The school system initially accused him of incompetence, insubordination, and creating extravagant designs. While the charges were eventually reduced to insubordination, leading to his dismissal, the real reasons for his termination were more complex and politically motivated.
According to Lawrence Perkins, Dwight Perkins' then-87-year-old son and founder of the architectural firm Perkins & Will, the dismissal had deeper roots. In a 1993 Sun-Times interview, Lawrence explained: "The real reason was that he specified terra cotta or brick [for his designs], and there were three people [on the school board with connections] to the cut-stone industry. He used to keep them in line, and they didn't like it one damn bit." This revelation suggests that Perkins' firing was less about architectural excess and more about challenging established business interests.
Perkins' career flourished after leaving the school system, proving that his dismissal was their loss rather than his downfall. His firm Perkins, Fellows & Hamilton went on to design iconic Chicago structures including the Lincoln Park Zoo Lion House and Lincoln Park's Cafe Brauer. Later, working with the firm Perkins, Chatten & Hammond, he designed the Northwest Tower, now known as The Robey, a striking 12-story Art Deco skyscraper located at the intersection of North, Damen, and Milwaukee avenues.
As Lawrence Perkins reflected on his father's post-school system career: "He never had to work for half of what he was worth again." This comment underscores how Perkins' talents were ultimately better recognized and compensated in the private sector than they had been in his public service role.
Rebekah Coffman, curator of religion and community history at the Chicago History Museum, explained that the recent focus on Perkins represents part of a broader initiative to highlight the institution's architectural collections. "We're thinking about collections in different ways [and] it just seems like a good kickoff to the school year," she said. The museum houses extensive Perkins-related materials, including original drawings, pamphlets, and photographs, all of which could potentially be featured in a planned 2027 exhibit. "There's a lot of material," Coffman noted, suggesting that the full scope of Perkins' contributions to Chicago's educational architecture has yet to be fully explored and appreciated.
