Fred Hampton's boyhood home in Maywood receives historical landmark status

MAYWOOD, Ill. - The boyhood home of late Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton is officially a historical landmark after the Maywood Village Board voted unanimously to approve the designation Tuesday night.

Hampton's son, Fred Hampton Jr., and his mother, Akua Njeri, led an effort to preserve the two-story building at 804 S. 17th Ave. in Maywood with the hopes of turning it into a museum where the works of the Black Panther Party can be displayed for visitors.

"The fight to save and maintain the Hampton House is bigger than a building and more significant than a structure," Hampton Jr. said in a statement. "Amongst other purposes, it serves as a major aspect of preserving the extraordinary legacy of Chairman Fred Hampton, the Black Panther Party, and that of service to the people in general."

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The Save the Hampton House initiative was part of a yearlong campaign tied to the film, Judas and the Black Messiah, which told the story of Hampton's rise within the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party.

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"The Hampton House is an integral part of Maywood’s history. Fred Hampton moved to 804 South 17th Avenue when he was only ten years old, and many formative experiences that laid the groundwork for Chairman Fred Hampton’s extraordinary political activism and leadership took place while he was living in this house," Rep. Bobby Rush said in a letter of support.

A petition tied to the campaign to preserve the home received over 5,000 signatures from residents around the Chicago area, according to a statement.