Oct. 7, 2020 (CHICAGO) – The former Our Lady of Angels School in Chicago’s West Humboldt Park is remembered for one of the worst school fires in U.S. history. On December 1, 1958, 92 children and three nuns died in a fire that resulted in fire code changes across the country.
On Wednesday, October 7, during Fire Prevention Week, officials from the Chicago Fire Department joined members of the Fire Sprinkler Fitters Union Local 281 and the United States Alliance Fire Protection to dedicate the newly sprinkled building that was rebuilt after the 1958 Our Lady of Angels fire.
A new school was built in 1960 and remained a Chicago Archdiocese school until 1999. Charter schools used the building until 2016 and the building is now part of the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels housing a food pantry, daycare center and after school programs.
“It’s especially fitting that we gather during Fire Prevention Week at the site of one of the worst school fires on record,” said Chicago Fire Commissioner Richard C. Ford, II. “We thank everyone who worked to bring this project to fruition, making the building safer for everyone at the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels.”
Explaining the history of the project, Tom Collins, business manager for the Fire Sprinkler Fitters Union Local 281, explained, “Joe Albergo, retired apprentice instructor from Plumbers Local 130, is a volunteer at the mission. Joe made us aware of the need for automated fire sprinklers in the building.”
The former four-story school had sprinklers only in the basement of the building. Because of the change in building use, additional fire suppression was required. Working with Sprinkler Fitters Union Local 281, United States Alliance Fire Protection donated the design and materials to retrofit the building with a full automatic fire sprinkler system. Members of Sprinkler Fitters Union Local 281 provided all of the labor to install the system.
“The design, materials and labor have a value of $400,000 and were all provided 100% free of charge for the Our Lady of the Angels Mission,” Collins said. The new fire sprinkler system follows NFPA 13 and City of Chicago Fire Codes.
The Mission of Our Lady of the Angels offers a number of programs for the community including a food pantry, distribution of clothing and household goods, emergency assistance, after school programming and other events. Bishop-elect Bob Lombardo, CFR, is the founder and director of the mission and Sr. Stephanie Baliga has served as the mission’s construction lead.
"We are very grateful for the amazing support of the Fire Sprinkler Fitters Union and all of their affiliate organizations,” Lombardo said. “We are grateful to honor the students and the sisters who died here in 1958 by equipping the building with the best and most up to date fire prevention equipment via the best installers. The renovation of the former Our Lady of the Angels School into our new outreach center would have been greatly delayed had it not been for the extraordinary generosity of all who helped with the project."
The Mission of Our Lady of the Angels is located at 3808 West Iowa Street on the west side of Chicago. Additional information about the mission can be found at www.missionola.com.
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