Sheffield today is an attractive and vital urban community. As many new residents and businesses have been attracted to Sheffield in recent years, the area is prospering as never before.
It was not always so. There was a period of decline into the 1950s. Much of Lincoln Park including Sheffield had fallen into disrepair. In response the neighbors organized. The Lincoln Park Conservation Association was formed in the 1950s in response to Urban Renewal efforts. The Sheffield Neighborhood Association began in 1955 as an affiliate of the LPCA and was formally incorporated as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation in 1959 to “improve conditions of life, work, recreation, health and safety” in the Sheffield area. In its early years, the SNA dealt with housing code violations, gang problems, urban renewal and numerous other issues.
In the late 1960s, the neighborhood began a renewal that has continued to this day. In 1976 Sheffield was designated one of the first National Historic districts in the State of Illinois by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The SNA has grown with the neighborhood and now deals with a variety of issues including planning, public safety, schools, parks and beautification.