22 Dec “relic house” artifacts and ephemera join bld. 51 museum’s largest privately-owned colletion revolving around the great chicago fire of 1871
relic house, a historic chicago saloon and restaurant, was built in 1872 from materials salvaged after the great chicago fire of 1871. originally at north park avenue and center street, it later moved near north clark street and lincoln park west. throughout its history, it served as a saloon, german restaurant, prohibition speakeasy, and hub for artistic groups like the dil pickle club. the building was demolished in 1926 (some sources cite 1929) for an apartment complex.
original cabinet card of rettig’s relic house (constructed in 1872), located at at north park avenue and center street ,chicago, ills.
the great chicago fire curiosity and tourist attraction was comprised of melted masses of glass, iron, pottery, stone and other materials salvaged from the fire’s rubble.
the image was likely taken when the relic house was operated by william lindermann, who added a refreshment parlor in 1884.
three recently acquired exceptionally rare and seldom seen advertising cards for the relic house from the late 19th or early 20th century.
a brief description of the relic house was included in the standard guide to chicago for the year 1891:
the most interesting and ornamental monument of the fire is the ” relic house,” well known to north s’ders and lincoln park visitors. in 1872, when the “leavings ” of the fire could be had for the asking or the trouble of picking them up, a man named rettig1 conceived the idea of building a small cottage out of such material as a melted mixture of stone, iron and other metals. the queer structure was built at north park avenue and central street. ten years ago it was removed to its present site near the junction of clark street and north park avenue (take north clark street cable line), philip vinter becoming the proprietor. four years afterwards the “relic house” passed into the hands of its present owner, william lindemann, who has added a refreshment parlor to the saloon and made quite a rustic spot out of the relic. the only ruin of the ’71 fire which remains standing is on a large vacant lot between nos. 907 and 915 north clark street, a few doors north of the “relic house,” on the opposite side of the street. the ruin consists of three sections of red brick wall with stone foundations showing where the chimneys, doors and windows formerly were.
the fragments below (see gallery) were purportedly salvaged from the relic house (embedded in a wall) during its demolition in 1929.
