back-to-back demolitions on dayton street a devastating blow to chicago's 19th century cityscape

demolition begins today at 2219 n. dayton. the early to mid-1880's two-flat is amazingly intact, with stamped tin bracketed cornice, marble mantels, and cast plaster ceiling escutcheons. the double door entrance, with centrally located corbel, raised panel jamb, and transoms are all original. the interior passage doors were outfitted with "screwless spindle" chicago-niles hardware, executed by the chicago hardware company. 

its neighbor - largely identical in design and ornament - will likely be the next to go. note the original ornamental iron cresting along the roofline - a stock pattern designed and executed by f.p. smith.

demolition permit issued for post-fire italianate style rowhouses on dayton street. the one to the south retains the original rope molding surrounding the double-door entrance. the green fence is up and the wrecking machine is parked across the street.

nearby, i spotted a post-fire wood-framed cottage on sedgwick. i'm not aware of any demolition permits, but there is a green fence wrapping the property. in addition, the gas line has been cut. i would keep an eye on this one. note the original bracketed cornice and door jamb accentuated with rope molding.

the following images offer a closer look at pre-fire chicago exterior residential rope trimwork study samples, along with period millwork catalogs that supplied this seldom found door and window molding throughout chicago during the 1850's-1870's. the artifacts and catalogs are housed in the bldg. 51 building material archive. 

documented twisted rope trim section extracted from a wood-framed chicago cottage built in 1867. the single-story workers cottage was demolished in 2016. rope molding fell out of favor by the late 1870's. note the early allover crazed paint.