as i document existing wood-framed cottages around the city for an ongoing study, i continually find myself gravitating to structures that are outside the parameters of my research-- buildings that hide in the shadow of newly-built residential homes. when i spot these, i approach as closely as i possibly...
the glow of a stormy sky reflected the situation perfectly: at the intersection of lake, ogden and loomis, a queen anne style structure (and long-time residence of the italian restaurant "la luce") is slated to be reduced to a pile of rubble. the ornate four-story building was constructed...
within the past month, demolition commenced and then quickly finished on two wood framed cottages located at 455 and 457 aberdeen street (just west of the site where the john kent russell house once stood) in west town. since the excavated lots have been emptied...
over a month ago, the existing building standing at 1443 n. wells street (in the heart of "old town") landed on the demolition delay hold list, a sure sign it will be wrecked and replaced when the "hold" is released. the multi-story commercial masonry building occupying a single lot with garage...
a multi-story masonry building at 1756 north cleveland avenue was placed on the demolition delay list just last month, meaning its death sentence is likely imminent. the white painted brick structure is a classic italianate style building, with bracketed cornice and ornate rounded window hoods surrounding unusual...
i recently detailed the partial demolition of a pre-fire, multi-story brick structure once occupied by nicholas eckhardt, whose family lived in the building while operating a saloon on the street level during the post-civil war era and on. after the wreckers had torn down the rear...
as of this morning (june 1, 2016) urban remains finally launched its new website, a more elegantly designed and technologically advanced platform, utilizing the latest ecommerce software available today. if you have any questions, concerns, or comments please feel free to contact a sales associate by...
a pre-fire building that has stood on chicago avenue for 149 years is now undergoing a partial demolition and redevelopment, bringing changes which have already significantly altered the existing building. the 3-story red brick facade has been shuttered for some time and notably suffered the...
i've spent hours pouring over j.t. palmatary's illustrated "birdseye view" of chicago as it looked in 1857. in fact, i had the entire map blown up so large, i had to use a truck to deliver it to my downtown office. although it is remarkably detailed, especially in...
the following sequence of images - with the exception of lintel ornament, and a deeply incised keystone recovered from the dumpster - capture the long and painful facadectomy of a milwaukee avenue commercial building (1875). its face had been adorned with the distinctive yellow-hued joliet limestone that...
across the alley, jst a stone's throw from the john kent russell house (1855) stood two houses facing aberdeen street, or curtiss street at the time of their construction and/or move to the block. when these side-by-side houses landed in my daily demolition notifications,...
approaching the probable demolition of the post-fire cottage at 1241 state street, it seems tragic not to commemorate the building, or make some effort toward appreciating its survival through the past century and a half. i have floated the idea of creating a pop up...
in a previous post i alerted my readers to the impending demolition of this finely-built workers cottage, constructed between 1875-1881. the first time i visited the house i documented the exterior as well as the interior. after stepping back and taking shots of the facade my...
unearthing detritus from the lives of 19th century chicagoans often means coming across mundane fragments of glass, bone and broken bottles. sometimes, though, even a shard of glass or a broken object can prove to be an exceptional oddity- evidence of victorian customs or a...
an unexpected acquisition was made this week, in the form of two historically important and all original sullivan-designed, white glazed ornamental terra cotta lintels from the facade of the sullivan center (formerly known as the carson pirie scott building company). the landmark commercial building was...
when i got wind that a late 19th century two-story brick commercial building was set to be demolished, i modified my schedule immediately to allow for a visit to the building. sadly, the structure waiting to be wiped away from van buren street sat abandoned, exhibiting a high degree of...
an incredible find was made earlier this week during demolition in lincoln park, as heneghan wrecking company tore back the walls of a c. 1927 grocery store. while the structure was turned to rubble, a long hidden "ghost sign" was unveiled on the neighboring building, having...
with research ongoing, it is nevertheless clear that only a few single-story brick workers cottages built within the great chicago fire's "burnt district" still remain. the rare survivor, built shortly after the city began its unimaginable rise from the ruins, is now, 144 years later,...
when i arrived at the partially demolished house, i felt relaxed and more than prepared to get lost in "the zone" of traveling back in time, carefully analyzing and deconstructing - at least in my head - the fully exposed 19th century wood-framed cottage. since i was the...
the great majority of extant 19th century chicago commercial building facades have succumbed to those 20th century remuddlings that greatly disfigure or altogether destroy the integrity of a building's original architectural character. the replacement of windows to make them more energy efficient is one thing, but more often than...