Chicago Bee Building

The Chicago Bee was founded by the African American entrepreneur Anthony Overton in 1926 in what was one of Chicago's African American newspaper buildings. This building was Overton's affirmation of his confidence in the viability of the State Street Commercial district. This three story building was one of the most picturesque in the district, and the one designed in the Art Deco style of the 1920s. All of Overton's enterprises shared this building until the early 1940s when the newspaper went out of business. The cosmetics firm continued to occupy the building until the early 1980s. The City of Chicago purchased the building and it is now a Chicago Public Library. It originally had upper-floor apartments. It also housed the offices of...