A new database is tracking contributions of women to the architecture of Illinois

A new database is tracking the contributions of women to the architecture of Illinois thanks to a yearlong survey project by one of the state’s most important preservation authorities. Landmark Illinois has just released its new Women Who Built Illinois database with an initial list of over 100 names that spans the years between 1879 and 1979 – a century whose physical lineage was shaped rather substantially by the hands of many prominent female architects and designers. “This new database recognizes those who laid the path for women today and who continue to impact the built environment of Illinois and Chicago,” Landmarks Illinois Director of Advocacy Lisa DiChiera said in a statement. “We hope students and professionals in architecture, planning and public history will be inspired to study these women, their careers and built works.” Architects like Nancy Abshire and Margaret Zirkel Young make up the list of women who paved the way for Jeanne Gang and others at a time when entry i...