yet another huron street workers cottage in west town succumbs to the ruthlessness of the wrecking ball
This entry was posted on July 15 2016 by Eric
as i document existing wood-framed cottages around the city for an ongoing study, i continually find myself gravitating to structures that are outside the parameters of my research-- buildings that hide in the shadow of newly-built residential homes. when i spot these, i approach as closely as i possibly can without imposing on existing occupants, and try to photograph the exterior in greater detail. perhaps some day i might overcome good manners, or sensitivity, and attempt to gain access to the interiors of these cottages. then, if they are mowed down by the city's wreckers when i'm not around, they will at least have been documented.
just recently that trepidation was shown to be justified. the house in question was located beyond the boundaries of my focus or study, and so i noticed it, but did not document it. when i was alerted of its impending demolition, the very next day, i had to scramble. after a bit of research i discovered the original cottage to be free of any and all additions to its 1865 construction. i had no choice but to push my mountainous schedule aside and spend the afternoon busting through walls, lifting attic floor boards, peeling back layers of exterior siding, mapping out the sill plate and joist configuration-- all in the last 24 hours of the cottage being intact. after that, it would become a pile of rubble.
chicago cottages constructed during the 1860's are few and far between, representing a bygone decade filled with turmoil, turbulence, and transformation. i felt it was critical to tease out the materials and methodologies used in its construction, not only to compare and contrast its elements with buildings of the same era, but to capture badly needed data. information on these houses will only become scarcer, as structures from this period are either long gone, landmarked or residing far from the path of demolition (which ironically opens a short window to analyze them).
based on the number of demolition permits being issued in and around west town, however, there could still be more to discover. sure, demolition provides the opportunity for data gathering and study, but it comes at the cost of losing an extant or "living" structure from that time period. this, i want to avoid under any and all circumstances.
in the case of 2234 west huron street, the civil war-era chicago wood-framed cottage was on its way out, soon to be replaced by one of the single family residences whose presence continues to disrupt neighborhoods in which pockets of 19th century structures are still in close proximity to each other. i selfishly wish the urban fabric would stay the way it was, but the arrow of time sees it much differently, and so it goes.
as with any other cottage, i've gone to great lengths to study the building prior to its destruction. often there aren't many redeeming qualities when looking for "face value," but if one were to purchase such a cottage and strip away the layers of botched and bone-headed alterations that deformed it (the type which many developers drool over), one would find an amazingly intact clapboard cottage that carries all the historic charm and character one could want, tracing it back to the decade of its construction. i often fantasize about buying one myself.
the appealing and historical features of the huron cottage had certainly been obfuscated by alterations, this was all the more evident as i examined both the exterior and interior. although nothing terribly out of the ordinary was uncovered, i did find a few unusual construction techniques employed in the structure's framing, especially on the second floor.
a more exhaustive analysis (and additional imagery) of the both the building materials and methodologies used to construct this 1860's-era chicago workers cottage will be provided when time permits. i've fallen behind in providing a thorough and descriptive analysis of cottages demolished earlier this year, along with structures undergoing demolition now, or will be shortly within the next week. the deconsructing chicago book (bldg. 51 press) will be the primary source for the bulk of the data, but my posts at the very least, highlight the discoveries i've made thus far in 19th century chicago construction, with an emphasis placed on cottages and/or wood-framed structures.
This entry was posted in , Miscellaneous, Salvages, Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts & Bldg. 51 Feed on July 15 2016 by Eric
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