demolition permit assigned to late 19th century two-flat residence on iowa street

an exceptionally well-maintained two-story masonry residence, constructed between 1888-1894, was issued a demolition permit late last week. despite being structurally sound and a solid representation of a late 19th century victorian-era chicago boarding house and/or two-flat, it seems it was sadly only a matter of time before it fell in line with its neighboring developments. the surrounding neighborhood has slowly transformed into lots of predominately new construction - including its neighbor directly to the east.

in time, the 19th century building on the right will also be targeted, and will succumb to the wrecking ball. once the wheels are set in motion, it follows a predictable, if not inevitable pattern that from an architectural standpoint means decimating any and all evidence of 19th century chicago.

people often ask me why these unsightly and unappealing developments prevail over preservation, and i can always respond with a single word answer - money. plain and simple. developer buys distressed home for the land it sits on, has it leveled (doing whatever they can to push the permits through), excavates the day after, and swiftly pours the foundation for a multi or single family structure that will bring in money. it may seem pessimistic to say, but it's a vicious cycle, and a largely unstoppable one.

knowing this - in fact, being acutely aware of it, having watched it up close for years - the best way i can find to cope with the loss is to document the building - inside and out. to secure a visual record of its existence ensures something lives on in archives, and any salvaged artifacts or building materials can in turn be given a new life. for me, when certain irreplaceable building materials are destroyed, that's it. forget replication. the craftsmanship, the skilled laborers, the nicely aged patina - all gone.

for the foreseeable future, i will continue to document what's threatened or handed a death sentence, and make all attempts to salvage ornament. the individual pieces stand in for a larger whole- a building or a neighborhood - which is slowly dismantled and carted off to the landfill, leaving a void for chicago's past to be quietly buried, covered over and forgotten.