full-figured terra cotta eagles carefully extracted during final moments of buick dealership demolition

the full-figured terra cotta eagles (american terra cotta company) and the largely unornamented shields they're perched on, were carefully removed from the towering gothic style arched buick automobile showroom's main entrance, designed by notable chicago architect clarence hatzfeld in 1921. the tan-colored, mottled glazed terra cotta full-winged eagles flanked the building's entrance, which was heavily altered when the second floor's terra cotta was stripped off the building and replaced with textured brick.

one of two eagles reassembled and photographed in my studio shortly after returning from demolition site.

the successful removal of the finely executed eagles marks the end of the "mega mall" salvage, where two former roaring twenties automotive dealerships - once apart of logan square's motor row - have been demolished in preparation for new development. prior posts extensively covered the history behind the two former dealerships, the architects and the rapidly changing cityscape they belonged to. the eagles will be handed over to the logan square historic preservation, headed by andrew schneider, who was instrumental in making this salvage effort possible from the very beginning.

while deconstructing the wood jamb (concealed long ago, but exposed during demolition) from the logan square buick's side entrance, i discovered crumpled newspaper (used as insulation) dating to 1930, nine years after the building was completed. the discovery forced me to thoroughly document the jamb and/or surround to determine if modifications were made during the time the newspaper was planted. research ongoing.

the "roaring twenties" automobile dealerships have been reduced to piles of rubble, destined for the landfill. the salvaged architectural elements, coupled with an exhaustive photographic record, ensure the buildings will not be forgotten.