17 Feb date dump: photographs and ephemera on willoughby j. edbrooke and franklin pierce burnham’s mecca flats hotel
mecca flats was a notable apartment complex in chicago’s bronzeville neighborhood, serving as an architectural and cultural landmark from 1891 until its demolition in 1952. the site at 3360 s. state street is now occupied by s.r. crown hall, a modernist structure designed by ludwig mies van der rohe for the illinois institute of technology (iit).
designed by edbrooke & burnham, mecca flats was among the first residential buildings in chicago to include a landscaped courtyard and two large, sky-lit interior atria featuring ornate wrought-iron balconies. the building was constructed for the 1893 world’s fair and, in 1911, transitioned from an exclusive white tenancy to become a central location for chicago’s black community. it became home to prominent residents such as muddy waters and katherine dunham, and hosted musicians including louis armstrong.
mecca flats influenced works such as gwendolyn brooks’ pulitzer prize-winning poem “in the mecca”, as well as the blues standard “mecca flat blues” by jimmy blythe. the property was demolished in january 1952 following extensive legal proceedings between residents and iit regarding campus expansion.
rare 1892 original promotional booklet for willoughby j. edbrooke and franklin pierce burnham’s mecca flats (1892), located at 3360 south state street, chicago, il.
the building was demolished by speedway wrecking in 1952 to make way for mies van der rohe’s crown hall crown hall (1954-56) at illinois institute of technology.
courtesy of timothy j. samuelson collection.
original real photo post card (rppc) of mecca flats skylit interior atrium as it appeared in 1913. the image features one of the oversized ornamental cast iron fountains with pyramidal-shaped cage with ball top finial. the two hanging arc-lamps with clear glass globes were likely fabricated by adams-bagnall electric co., cleveland, oh. the crudely-written description and building address inked along bottom.
the intricately designed and finely executed cast iron balcony baluster was salvaged from mecca during its demolition in 1952 by speedway wrecking. mecca flats was designed as a hotel by architects willoughby j. edbrooke and franklin pierce burnham for world’s fair visitors. possibly fabricated by winslow brothers. the ornament’s original finish was either bower-barff or applied black enamel.
courtesy of bldg. 51 archive.
original real photo post card (rppc) of mecca flats (1892) exterior courtyard as it appeared in 1912. the apartment complex was designed by architects willoughby j. edbrooke and franklin pierce burnham. mecca flats was demolished by speedway wrecking in 1952 to make way for crown hall at iit.
after mecca, before crown.
great collection of images (possibly taken by nickel) of excavation work for mies’s crown hall (1956) at iit. the images – scanned this afternoon from contact sheets – offer a great visual record of the surrounding area, including long-gone buildings along state street.
i see lindahl did the excavation, but if i recall correctly speedway demolished edbrooke and burnham’s mecca flats (1892).
the intricately designed and finely executed cast iron baluster was salvaged from mecca flats (1891) during its demolition for iit’s crown hall. mecca flats was designed as a hotel by architects willoughby j. edbrooke and franklin pierce burnham for world’s fair visitors. possibly fabricated by winslow brothers. the ornament’s original finish was either bower-barff or black enamel.
courtesy of ryerson and burnham, art institute of chicago. mecca baluster courtesy of bldg. 51 collection .
below are additional images of mecca flats as it appeared in the early 20th century. courtesy of timothy j. samuleson.
the last of the images (below) show the mecca shortly before and during demolition by speedway wrecking.
original 8 x 10 press photo of edbrooke and burnham’s mecca flats (1891) undergoing demolition in 1952 by speedway wrecking.
courtesy of bldg. 51 archive.
