17 Apr post-fire chicago italianate on orchard street reduced to rubble
the 1870’s post-fire italianate style rowhouse with original bracketed wood cornice and artificial stone window hoods with centrally located keystones, has been reduced to rubble. as of this writing, the concrete foundation for its replacement has been poured.
by spring’s end, the new structure will likely by finished – occupied by a family that never knew what stood there. the post-fire structure lives on through images and two artifacts (discussed in greater detail below). the following images capture its destruction from beginning to end.
https://bldg51.com/news-and-events/2018/02/27/another-post-fire-chicago-residence-on-orchard-faces-wrecking-machine/
https://bldg51.com/news-and-events/2018/03/31/post-fire-italianate-rowhouse-on-orchard-on-its-way-out/
more on frear-patented “artificial stone” below:
a post-fire chicago cast stone keystone – recently salvaged from an italianate style residential structure built between 1872-1875 – added to bldg. 51’s “deconstructing chicago” materials and methods archive.
artificial stone was one of several materials relied upon as an alternate material in post-fire building. also termed “cast” or “concrete” stone, it is a synthetic product that was used mainly during the 19th century to imitate natural building stones.
an aggregate of water, natural cement, lime, sand, and/or various binding agents, the concrete mixtures could be incorporated in construction as molded shapes and intricate decorative elements or as plain blocks.
further reading:
https://bldg51.com/news-and-events/2018/01/12/five-historically-important-pre-and-post-great-chicago-fire-building-keystones/
https://bldg51.com/news-and-events/2017/06/29/a-closer-look-at-george-frears-patented-pre-chicago-fire-artificial-italianate-row-house-keystones/