Pullman was synonymous with the sleeping car. The town and factory complex were the brainchild of George Pullman, an entrepreneur who transformed the railroad industry by providing a method of long-distance, overnight travel that was clean, comfortable, reliable and safe. The utopian community, which contained homes, churches, parks, shopping areas, a hotel and a library, plus an innovative sewage system, was once hailed as the “world’s most perfect town.” They were once part of a controversial “model town” that was built to house rail car workers and their families.
However, numerous brick duplexes and row houses remain standing a few blocks away, and most are still inhabited in one of Chicago’s most unique neighborhoods. Unfortunately, much of the manufacturing complex, located near the intersection of 111th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue, was destroyed by a fire several decades ago. The Administration Clock Tower Building forms the centerpiece of the 12-acre national monument grounds, which features several historic Pullman buildings.
