Catholic Charities Father Augustus Tolton Peace Center—also known as the Austin Bank of Chicago—was designed by Frederick Schock in 1913, with an annex in 1926 and a later Modernist addition in 1963. Schock is best known for designing nearby houses in extravagant Shingle and Queen Anne styles. As Austin’s resident architect, he was responsible for designing most of the early civic buildings, including a library and train station for the fast-developing railroad suburb. Ownership of this attractive former bank building transferred to Catholic Charities in 2017. The new Father Augustus Tolton Peace Center is a community resource center that provides professional services to residents in need of violence prevention and intervention services due to domestic abuse, involvement with victim or perpetrator violence and a range of tragic experiences and life challenges. Catholic Charities also provides assistance with rent, utility bills, and job training, as well as senior and veteran services.
