post-fire two-story commercial building in heart of old town faced with demolition

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 located in back (currently occupied by a cleaner and tailor), clearly retains elements of 19th century italianate architecture, even as real estate listing places the date of construction in the early 1930's. no evidence has been found to corroborate its construction in the 20th century. instead, obvious visual clues indicate a much older style, with a multi-colored red brick facade accentuated with long, arched windows, pyramidal-shaped and deeply incised keystones, a projecting bay with fret-sawn wood keystones and a visually distinctive ornamental arched and dentiled brick cornice with pinwheel design motifs. 

consulting an 1886 insurance map shows a masonry building on the site -- formerly numbered 544 wells street -- with a brick stable on the rear of the lot. city directories place john ruh, an insurance broker, as an occupant there during multiple decades of the late nineteenth century. ruh is listed as a resident on wells street as early as 1855, at a house "near north avenue," which could plausibly be either at, or near the location where the buildings are located at 1433 or 1403 north wells (based on another address he occupied in 1866). in directories from the years 1876 and 1886, john ruh appears to have lived at the building in question, 1433 n. wells, and he is consistently listed as a solicitor or insurance broker.

in 1919, according to ad space in florist trade journals, the building seems to have served as a commercial space selling boiler flues for h. munson.

further research into the history of this 19th century masonry structure will likely flush out additional details or insights pertaining to the approximate date of construction, and the subsequent alterations made to the interior as well as exterior facade.  now identified as a post-fire structure (i.e., 1875-1876), it will become the third building this month to face demolition within the "burnt district" of downtown chicago.