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showcasing ornament through a northwestern terra cotta company executive's residence

the northwestern terra cotta company was founded in chicago in 1877 by a group of investors that included john r. true. the company became a major producer of terra cotta trimmings used by the construction industry. by the beginning of the 20th century, architectural terra cotta was firmly established as america's premier material for detailing commercial structures, especially the new, steel-framed skyscrapers then rising in chicago and new york city.

late 1870's ornamental red slip terra cotta salesman sample block - courtesy of the bldg. 51 museum collection and archive.

after the devastating chicago fire of 1871, the fireproof qualities of this ancient, baked-clay form propelled its acceptance as a less expensive and lightweight alternative stone. to direct both production and installation, the studio’s draftsmen transformed architectural blueprints into comprehensive "shop drawings" that identified exactly where and how each puzzle-like piece would be secured to its supporting structure. favored by such international architectural luminaries as louis h. sullivan, daniel burnham, frank lloyd wright, and albert kahn, the company ultimately contributed to thousands of buildings across the country in a wide array of styles. by the early 1890's, when northwestern terra cotta employed approximately 500 men, annual sales approached $600,000. it was during this era that the company successfully recruited european craftsmen to join the firm as sculptors in its modeling shop. these highly skilled artists could earn three or four times as much as a less skilled laborer at the same factory.

early 1880's northwestern terra cotta advertising post card - courtesy of the bldg. 51 museum and archive.

by 1910, its large plant at clybourn and wrightwood avenues covered 24 acres and had about 1,000 workers. the popularity of placing terra cotta moldings on building facades peaked in the 1920s, with northwestern terra cotta leading the way, in chicago and around the country. around this time, the company opened plants in st. louis and denver. from the nineteenth century on, prominent chicago architects had extensive contracts with the company; included among the many landmark chicago buildings for which northwestern supplied extensive decorative moldings were the civic opera house, the chicago theater, the wrigley building, and the randolph tower.

northwestern terra cotta targeted its client base by advertising in trade journals such as american architect and they wasted no time promoting its involvement in the construction of the distinctive wrigley building—the first skyscraper completely clad "from sidewalk to searchlight" in terra cotta. not only was the gleaming white-enamel office tower chicago's tallest structure at that time, it was the first of a series that inaugurated new development north of the chicago river. northwestern's operations in chicago declined alongside the construction industry during the great depression, and was eclipsed by modernist curtain walls of glass, exposed steel, and concrete. in 1965, northwestern terra cotta co.'s only remaining plant in denver closed.

chicago wrigley building terra cotta fragment - courtesy of the bldg. 51 museum and archive

detail of the wrigley building's massive terra cotta clock tower (one of four faces). image courtesy of eric j. nordstrom photography.

the henry rohkam house (1048 w. oakdale avenue) was built in 1887 for the vice-president of northwestern terra cotta by architect theodore karls. the visually distinct and heavily ornamented american victorian era monochromatic masonry cottage is bedecked with the company's ornament, from diminutive "stock" pattern blocks to gargantuan plaques, chimney posts, and a fence - all comprised of terra cotta. the queen anne style residence is located along "terra cotta row," a group of 19th century chicago houses and flats built for executives of northwestern. rohkam worked as a modeler for the chicago terra cotta company, before joining others to establish the northwest terra cotta works in 1877.

rare 1874 chicago terra cotta catalog - courtesy of the bldg. 51 museum archive

 

the rohkam house with its widespread use of ornamental buff-colored slip terra cotta fabricated by the company where rohkam held the position of vice-president.  all images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom photography and the bldg. 51 museum archive. 

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