death sentence handed to 1870's italianate style chicago residence located at 2033 n. howe street

less than a week ago i posted images and a brief commentary about two adjoining 1870's italianate "athen's marble" fronted residential buildings on monroe street, which were vacated in preparation for a demolition that i suspected to be only weeks away. i'm constantly surprised how quickly it happens, beginning with the trademark green fence encircling the building, a sure signal that the structure awaits its death.

in the case of the 1870's italianate at 2033 n. howe street, i was notifed that the "death sentence" or demolition permit had been issued. upon receiving this alarming news, i hastily made my way over there to find, sure enough, the green fence was already in place with a wrecking machine quietly waiting behind the building. the calm scene made it a little easier to photo-document the amazingly intact and defining exterior characteristics of the homes, representative of a quintessential 1870's chicago italianate single family residence.

among the exemplary building elements i counted the protruding three-sided bay, ornamented window hoods (bedecked with deeply incised abstract floral motifs), walk-up stoop with original paneled jamb, a bracketed cornice that survived being severed, the long and narrow windows and unpainted brick. all these contribute to it being highly worthy of preservation. like the joliet limestone flats on monroe, i feel this type of house is a dying breed, perhaps on the verge of extinction, if the rate of demolition continues to build momentum, and as more "distressed" homes are targeted for redevelopment.

"old world" materials and methods used to construct these 19th century chicago houses are so blatantly ignored, dismissed, and worse yet -- viewed as an obstruction, in the way of new "cookie cutter" condos and mcmansions that, in my mind, lack coherent design, integrity, and craftsmanship. the distinctive neighborhoods of chicago are slowly transforming into "suburbanhoods."