Earlier this year, Preservation Chicago listed The Warehouse as an endangered building – lacking in historic protection and in a neighborhood rapidly developing. It’s a non-descript, three-story building at 206 South Jefferson Street that, if you found yourself in that area of the West Loop, you’d likely walk right past. But for all its relative anonymity, it’s the birthplace of House music. The name even comes from Warehouse, just shortened.  

If you’ve never heard of House music – well, first of all, you absolutely have. It can be heard most recently influencing Beyonce’s RENAISSANCE album. It was ubiquitous in the early ‘90s after its underground success crossed into the mainstream. And at its center was a DJ named Frankie Knuckles who birthed the style at The Warehouse by blending soul, R&B, electronic, gospel, and disco hits. 

The Warehouse was initially frequented by gay men, predominantly Black. It was a safe space for Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community during an increasingly hostile backlash against Disco (itself originating in clubs for gay men, predominantly Black). Frankie Knuckles himself was openly gay and went out of his way to make the dancefloor at The Warehouse inclusive – the scene was racially, ethnically, sexually mixed – all Chicagoans were welcome. It’s no wonder a Frankie Knuckles tribute took over Millennium Park in 2014 after his death. 

Thanks to the raised awareness by Preservation Chicago, the building was granted Landmark status. It’ll now be listed with the likes of Chess Records Office & Studio and Muddy Waters House. What does it mean to preserve a location, to keep it as is while the world continues evolving? Generally, it means that we value the artifact in question above everything else, and that its continued existence reflects our cultural values. Preserving The Warehouse signals to our city’s marginalized communities that their history matters, that their contributions to popular culture deserve recognition, that everyone is part of American history. 

We hope you take a moment to celebrate with some House classics. Here’s a start courtesy of Frankie Knuckles.