BLDG51. News and Events |

29 Sep recently discovered, rarely seen lithographic images of william w. boyington’s columbus memorial building (1893–1959) have been added to bldg. 51 museum archive

Posted at 15:15h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Uncategorized by Eric

a collection of seldom seen lithographic prints showcasing the original custom-designed interior ornamental ironwork executed by the winslow brothers for william w. boyinton's columbus memorial building (1893-1959). the columbus memorial building, a 14-story steel-frame skyscraper at the southeast corner of state and washington streets in chicago,...

25 Sep hiding in plain sight. pre-fire cottage parked behind salerno’s pizza place in west town

Posted at 16:35h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

this altered 19th-century raised wood-frame cottage, across the alley from salerno's pizza of chicago in west town, has long intrigued me. its distinctive multipart painted-pine window hoods remain remarkably intact. the cottage was likely moved back from grand avenue—then called either owen or indiana street—to...

23 Sep demolition well underway on west warren blvd. on chicago’s west side

Posted at 16:39h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages, Uncategorized by Eric

iphone photos taken early monday evening of a two-story, 19th-century romanesque style residence of pressed red brick and bedford limestone at 2915 west warren blvd., chicago, il. images courtesy of eric john nordstrom, the bld. 51 archive, and google maps. all rights reserved. 2026. ...

22 Sep recent photographic survey of frank lloyd wright’s frederick robie house (1908-09) located in chicago’s hyde park neighborhood

Posted at 15:13h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

recent exterior photographic survey of frank lloyd wright's frederick c. robie house (1909), located at 5757 south woodlawn avenue, chicago, il. the frederick c. robie house in chicago’s hyde park is widely considered frank lloyd wright’s prairie school masterpiece. commissioned in 1908 and built largely between...

15 Sep master colorist and architectural conservator robert a. furhoff dies

Posted at 15:44h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

an obituary that honors a life well lived. robert a. furhoff was a legendary chicago-based historic paint analyst, architectural conservator, and interior restoration expert. from 1973 until his retirement in 2009, his firm restoration of interiors meticulously decoded and reconstructed the original, highly complex historic color...

11 Sep bldg. 51 archive and museum acquires major john drury photographic archive used to produce old chicago houses

Posted at 18:26h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Uncategorized by Eric

original chicago daily news photographic print of adler and sullivan's three-story brick and lemont limestone john borden residence, located at 3949 south lake park avenue, chicago, il. the image was taken in october of 1940 and used the following year in john drury's "old houses of...

09 Sep clybourn place bridge – chicago’s first trunnion bascule bridge and launched the internationally recognized “chicago style” – faces destruction

Posted at 17:24h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

chicago alderpeople are seeking to remove landmark protections from the historic cortland street bridge, potentially allowing its demolition and replacement. the 124-year-old bridge, which crosses the north branch of the chicago river between lincoln park and bucktown, has been closed to vehicles since september 2025...

08 Sep rarely seen interior photographs of jenney & mundie’s 1893 central ymca association building, recently uncovered and digitized by the bldg. 51 archive and museum

Posted at 21:14h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Uncategorized by Eric

the central ymca association building at 19 south lasalle street in chicago was built in 1893. designed by the architectural firm jenney & mundie, it is one of the last surviving chicago loop skyscrapers associated with william le baron jenney. rather than face demolition, the...

07 Sep d.h. burnham and company’s long-forgotten 1892 ashland block – an early chicago skyscraper destroyed before its time

Posted at 16:34h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

the ashland block, a landmark 16-story early skyscraper, was designed and engineered by the renowned architectural firm burnham & root. built in 1892 at 155 north clark street, on the northeast corner of west randolph street in chicago, it became a leading example of the...

07 Sep anders gustaf lund–designed victorian cottage, later converted into the chicago bicycle club, now abandoned and threatened with demolition

Posted at 14:29h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

exterior photographic survey of anders gustaf lund’s high victorian-style residential brownstone cottage at 718 w. garfield blvd. in chicago, illinois, built in 1893–1894. designed by the prominent swedish immigrant architect, the building reflects lund’s active south side practice after he studied architecture at the technical institute...

04 Sep gloom and doom: “Big Jim” O’Leary’s palatial 1901 brown Port Wing sandstone mansion on Garfield Boulevard is headed to demolition court

Posted at 21:20h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages, Uncategorized by Eric

“big jim” o’leary’s 1901 house, built by zachary taylor, is in big trouble as its case moves through chicago’s demolition court, as dennis rodkin of crain’s has reported earlier this week. https://www.chicagobusiness.com/real-estate/residential/ccb-oleary-garfield20260831 the house now sits wide open, inviting squatters and scrappers to strip it before it...

03 Sep late summer 2026 visit to william j. newman’s dawn manor featuring salvaged exterior ornament from william boyington’s chicago’s board of trade and an interior outfitted with george raab paintings

Posted at 17:16h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Travel, Uncategorized by Eric

newman’s gothic-style sandstone summer cottage, built in 1855, was carefully dismantled, moved to nearby wisconsin dells, and rebuilt at 413 south burritt avenue as a restaurant, bar, and speakeasy. the reconstructed cottage was also reunited with salvaged ornament from william boyington’s granite-clad board of trade building...

02 Sep william m. cooley’s mid-century “the little jewel box by the highway”

Posted at 06:35h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

"the little jewel box by the highway." photographic survey of iit-trained william m. cooley's christ unity temple (1960-63), located at the southeast corner of state street, chicago, il. THE JEWEL BOX CHURCH BY THE HIGHWAY A Miesian Experiment Written by Chicago's Cultural Historian, Timothy James Samuelson. To best understand the...

01 Sep photographic survey of healy block or doc powell’s 1872-78 italianate style building in la crosse, wisc.

Posted at 17:42h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Travel, Uncategorized by Eric

built by benjamin healey between 1872 and 1878, the brick commercial block at 200–212 main street in la crosse, wisconsin, is one of the city’s two finest surviving examples of late-19th-century victorian commercial italianatestyle. its red-brick facade features ornate metal cornices with bracket and dentil...

30 Aug sound the alarm? big jim o’leary’s mansion is boarded up and abandoned.

Posted at 15:06h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

the o’leary mansion, distinguished by its red sandstone and brownstone façade, stands at 726 w. garfield boulevard in chicago, illinois. designed by prominent chicago architect zachary taylor davis—best known for wrigley field and comiskey park—it was completed in 1901, though some property records and historical...

26 Aug holabird & root’s dearborn street commonwealth edison substation (1929–31): the sole survivor of block 37’s botched demolition blitz

Posted at 15:43h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

photographic survey of holabird and root's dearborn street comed substation (1929), located at 117-121 n. dearborn st., chicago, il. the "spirit of electricity" carved bedford limestone panel adorning the facade, was commissioned by sculptor syvia shaw and executed by carl stein and sons. the building's stone...

25 Aug robert law weed’s florida tropical house transported by barge from 1933 chicago world’s fair to beverly shores, indiana

Posted at 15:36h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Travel, Uncategorized by Eric

the florida tropical house is a historic art deco beach house designed by miami architect robert law weed. built in chicago for the 1933 century of progress world’s fair, it was featured in the “homes of tomorrow” exhibition. after the fair, real estate developer robert bartlett...

24 Aug fred keck’s 1933 century of progress “house of tomorrow” nearing completion

Posted at 19:04h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Travel, Uncategorized by Eric

recent photographs of george fred keck’s “america’s first glass house” during restoration as it appears in august of 2026.the house of tomorrow is located at 214 lake front drive in beverly shores, indiana. images taken during the winters of 2025 and 2026 are included. the house of...

21 Aug most unusual chicago skyscraper: photographic images of lucius g. fisher’s 18-story fisher building

Posted at 17:50h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

the fisher building, a 20-story neo-gothic landmark at 343 south dearborn street was commissioned by paper magnate lucius g. fisher and completed in 1896 by d.h. burnham & company. it is the oldest standing building in chicago that reaches 18 stories or more. charles atwood served...

21 Aug the mighty manhattan: oldest surviving skyscraper in the world with a purely skeletal supporting structure

Posted at 14:46h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized by Eric

constructed between 1889 and 1891, the manhattan building at 431 south dearborn street is recognized as the oldest surviving skyscraper in the world with a purely skeletal supporting structure. this 16-story landmark marked a major advance in early skyscraper engineering. instead of relying on thick masonry...