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loewenberg & loewenberg's logan square automobile showroom demolished

the former chevrolet showroom (north end of the "mega mall"), built for the milwaukee avenue motor sales company (1921) during a time when the neighborhood was concentrated with several car dealerships that collectively contributed to what was then known as logan square's "motor row," has been reduced to rubble, leaving its neighbor (south end of the "mega mall) which too, was an automotive dealership for buick, the next target for demolition in the next two weeks.

like the motor sales company, logan square buick has been heavily modified, but still retains a great deal of its original exterior ornamental terra cotta. the former was outfitted with two-tone mottled matte glaze lavender terra cotta fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company. the latter contains tan-colored mottled finish ornamental terra cotta with figural eagles and other distinctive elements fabricated by local competitor, american terra cotta company.

the monumental archway, including the centrally located voluted corbel were reduced to rubble on the morning when we were filming at the congress theater. it's hard to grapple with the inability to be everywhere at once.

i will take advantage of this week's reduced workload elsewhere so i can spend time at the "mega mall" in order to secure the mottled tan-colored terra cotta ornament from the buick showroom for an upcoming exhibit sponsored by the bldg. 51 museum and logan square preservation.

sadly, scheduling conflicts derailed our efforts to salvage a great deal of the chevrolet dealership's facade terra cotta (the remarkable roofline multi-part finials were carefully extracted long before demolition commenced). consequently, frieze panels and the majority of the grand arch were completely destroyed. note: the original wood-framed oculus and arch top surround were successfully removed and currently undergoing documentation. the oversized corbel and several pilasters and capitals disappeared in the rubble. however, i hope a can set aside enough time to remove the logan square buick building's terra cotta that if all goes as planned, will be given a new life through logan square preservation.

the following images offer a visual record of the milwaukee avenue motor sales company's last days, along with detailed images of various fragments pulled from the rubble before it would be taken to the landfill the following day.

saving what we can shortly after we wrapped at the congress theater.

scheduling conflicts left me wandering around through the former showroom's ruins in complete disbelief over such wanton destruction that had taken place just hours before we arrived.

neo-grec and bead and reel-designed terra cotta fragments were everywhere.

 

mottled northwestern terra cotta ornament and/or building systems rescued before and during demolition of the former automotive showroom:

at least the gargantuan arch top wood-paneled glass surround with centrally located oculus was rescued largely intact.



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