16 May bldg. 51 archive and museum acquire rare collection of images of the 1880s boarding house built on site where the great chicago fire of 1871 began.

several newly acquired photographic images of the 1880s three-story lemont limestone boarding house built on the site of catherine o’leary’s cottage (the o’learys sold the lot at 558 w. dekoven street in 1879), where the great chicago fire of 1871 began.

the embedded marble plaque marking the fire’s origin, located to the right of the double entrance doors, is now at the chicago historical society. the bronze plaque beneath it is in the lobby of the chicago fire academy, built on the site in 1956 after the city demolished the building in 1955—an act that drew national attention through the universal-international newsreel, “city gets revenge on mrs. o’leary,” which documented the demolition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d8dXFtmW_8

the majority of the images were taken by chicago daily times photographers.

following the 1871 fire, catherine o’leary and her son james moved to a mansion on garfield boulevard on chicago’s south side. this later property became well known as a former gambling den owned by james o’leary.

images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bld. 51 museum and archive.