Elks National Memorial Headquarters Building

Address: 2750 N. Lakeview Avenue Year Built: 1924 - 1926 Architect: Ottenheimer, Stern & Reichert , Egerton Swartwout Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: October 1, 2003

The Elks Memorial is one of the Chicago's most grand commemorative buildings and is an exceptional example of a monumental building in the Classical Beaux-Arts style. This building was constructed by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, an American fraternal organization, in tribute to the 1,037 Elks who died and the 70,000 Elks who served in World War I, to whom it was dedicated on July 14, 1926. Known as the Elks Veterans Memorial, it has been rededicated to succeeding generations of America's Veterans. Its Roman-inspired dome, grandly-scaled colonnade and distinctive friezes enclose an ornate interior adorned with allegorical murals and sculpture embodying noble and humanitarian ideals. The building displays a powerful presence on the western edge of Lincoln Park, where it is a familiar site to thousands of Chicagoans as well as visitors to the city.