07 Oct bld. 51 museum archive holds largest collection of images and artifacts from catherine o’lerary’s “fire shrine” located at 558 de koven steet
the history of 558 w. dekoven street—the reputed origin of the great chicago fire of 1871—traces the site’s transformation from catherine o’leary’s cottage to an 1880s boarding house and, ultimately, its demolition.
patrick and catherine o’leary, whose surname originally appeared as “leary,” survived the fire and sold their lot at 137 dekoven street, later renumbered 558 w. dekoven street, for $1,150 in 1879.
in the 1880s, the new owners cleared the property and built a substantial three-story lemont limestone boarding house, sometimes described in historical records as a brownstone or masonry building.
two plaques on its facade marked the site’s significance. a marble plaque to the right of the double entrance identified it as the fire’s origin; salvaged before demolition, it is now held by the chicago historical society (chicago history museum). a bronze plaque beneath it was also saved and moved to the lobby of the chicago fire academy.
although neighborhood accounts and later photographs sometimes link the site’s final clearance to the academy’s completion in early 1962, the city officially demolished the boarding house in 1955.
the demolition drew national attention and appeared in a universal-international newsreel titled “city gets revenge on mrs. o’leary.” construction of the chicago fire academy began on the property in 1956, and the academy still occupies the original o’leary site.
original chicago daily times photographic image of ralph newman and paul angle (director of chicago historical society) on the stoop of three-story brownstone located on site of catherine o’leary’s cottage where the great chicago fire of 1871 originated.
the embedded marble informational plaque marking the origin of the fire (located right of the double entrance doors) is housed at the chicago historical society. the bronze plaque below it resides in the lobby of the chicago fire academy, which was built on the site in 1956 when the house was torched and demolished in 1955.
courtesy of bldg. 51 archive
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.
the majority of the images were taken by chicago daily times photographers.
original 1950s press images of three-story brownstone (before and during fire) located on site of catherine o’leary’s cottage, where the great chicago fire of 1871 originated.
the embedded marble informational plaque marking the origin of the fire (located right of the double entrance doors) is housed at the chicago historical society.
