a photographic survey of chicago's post-fire extant residential and building facade ornamental keystones

the great majority of the keystones included in this photographic essay were taken from various extant commercial and residential structures built shortly after the great chicago fire of 1871, within what is known as the "burnt district." this area, consisting of downtown and the neighborhoods just north of it, received the most extensive damage from the conflagration.

consequently, when rebuilding commenced shortly after mountains of debris where carted away, the city established "fire limits," which were essentially boundaries drawn around the city center whereby any and all structures had to be constructed with the use of brick and/or stone. however, several wood-framed cottages were built within these limits and many still survive in one form or another today.

the italianate style was very popular in 1870's chicago architecture which is one of the reasons so many structures contain facades adorned with pedimented windows and doors, consisting primarily of sandstone, joliet limestone, fret-sawn pine wood, and a more experimental "artificial" or cast stone (a concrete masonry product simulating natural-cut stone), which was a quick and cheap alternative to natural stone harvested from quarries overwhelmed with orders needed to rebuild downtown chicago commercial buildings.

very few parameters existed when i set out to photograph these keystones shown in the gallery below. my mind's eye, and thus my lens tended to gravitate towards the ornamental stones bearing highly abstract flora motifs and a surface patina that offered interesting surface characteristics that not only bolstered the designs, but perhaps more importantly, displayed its age from prolonged exposure to the "elements" over time. when the facades of the buildings documented have been cleaned or "restored" it effectively wipes away all the identifiable hallmarks of age and/or time.