Pullman

      Prayer Points

• Praise God for several ministries in the community that have represented Christ in caring, holistic outreach for those in need.

• Pray for sensitivity to the historic landmarks within the community to preserve a unique legacy that contributed to the greater identity of the south side of Chicago.

• Praise God for newer economic developments that are bringing employment opportunities to the residents of Pullman. Pray that the previously established businesses would benefit from the renewed focus.

• There is a local hospital in a strategic position to benefit the community. Pray that it would acquire the proper resources and that the quality of care would meet the deepest needs of the community.

      Ethnic Breakdown

• Asian (0%)
• Black or African American (83.4%)
• Hispanic or Latino (8.1%)
• White (8.4%)

Neighborhood Background

At its founding, Pullman was a planned community, envisioned and built by George M. Pullman in the 1870s to create a place for his new factory. He built an entire town to meet the social and physical health of his employees. This meant brick houses, access to schools, parks, a library, a theater, and educational programs.

However, following a strike in 1894 spurred by a cut in wages without a decrease in rents, the Illinois State Supreme Court ordered the company to divest itself of residential property. Pullman was then annexed to Chicago, but it faced problems of old housing, vacant industrial land, unemployment, and bootlegging.

When it was recommended that Pullman be demolished, the residents fought back, organizing to beautify the neighborhood and establishing the Historic Pullman Foundation in 1973. Pullman still retains much of its original architecture and spatial orientation. It attracts thousands of visitors each year. However, in recent decades Pullman has seen a decline in housing and job opportunities and is now a hybrid of a lower-middle class neighborhood and a preserved historical district.