revisiting 19th century chicago buildings demolished in recent years

the time spent recording the demolition of chicago’s historic graystones, workers cottages, two-flats, and commercial buddings has been a personal hell i’ve forced myself to grapple with again and again from the moment i arrive at these sites with camera and tools to salvage and/or document their destruction.

after nearly two decades of struggling with seemingly inescapable burnout, i’ve witnessed everything from entire blocks of wood-framed worker cottages on the near west side to pockets of well-preserved italianate row houses located in lincoln park succumb to violent destruction sometimes entire buildings are reduced to rubble and trucked off to the dump in the matter of a single afternoon - leaving very little time to process or reflect on the impact of its loss.

this careless and senseless eradication of old buildings is rapidly changing chicago's neighborhoods from one’s of storied, architectural character to suburban-esque hollow, cookie-cutter houses. for this reason, i have and continue to commit extensive time to creating a visual record of these structures and their architectural ornament to ensure they live on through images (a lifelong civic duty i didn't ask for, but feel an undying obligation to fulfill).

after a week of mining through hundreds of past posts on witnessing firsthand the eradication of chicago’s 19^th century landscape, the following serves as a reflective chronicle of what has been lost (please be patient - there's a great deal of content and will take time to load).

HERMAN V. VON VOLST'S COMED SUBSTATION STILL STANDS, BUT CONTINUES TO DIE A SLOW DEATH THROUGH DEFERRED MAINTENANCE

19TH CENTURY WEBSTER STREET ITALIANATE ROWHOUSES WITH MINTON TILE INSETS UNDERGOING DEMOLITION

19TH CENTURY CHICAGO ROWHOUSES ON WEBSTER SLATED FOR WRECKING BALL IN COMING WEEKS

A 19TH CENTURY COTTAGE AND 1914 BASCULE BRIDGE WIPED AWAY FROM CHICAGO'S CITYSCAPE

STEVENS-DAVIS BUILDING'S GLAZED TERRA COTTA ORNAMENT DESTROYED DURING ITS DEMOLITION

CHICAGO'S STEVENS-DAVIS ADVERTISING COMPANY BUILDING FACES WRECKING BALL

ANOTHER LATE 19TH CENTURY CHICAGO TWO-FLAT AND 1902 CHURCH BUILDING HEADING TOWARDS OBLIVION

CHICAGO COMMERCIAL BUILDING WITH LARGELY INTACT "SULLIVANESQUE" WHITE GLAZED TERRA COTTA STOREFRONT HANDED DEATH SENTENCE

IMPENDING DEMOLITION OF 1914 CHICAGO AVENUE BASCULE BRIDGE ON THE HORIZON

THREE-STORY BRICK COMMERCIAL BUILDING AT 170-172 . HALSTED LATEST BUILDING TO FALL IN FULTON MARKET DISTRICT

CHICAGO'S HISTORIC VILLAGE THEATER REDUCED TO FACEDECTOMY AFTER ITS AUDITORIUM DEMOLISHED

THREE 19TH CENTURY CHICAGO MASONRY WORKER COTTAGES FACED WITH DEMOLITION

1880'S VICTORIAN-ERA COMMERCIAL BUILDING WITH UNION WORKS ORNAMENTAL IRON STOREFRONT DEMOLISHED

HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT CHICAGO MACHINERY EXCHANGE BUILDING DESTROYED

825-855 W ADAMS TWO-STORY COMMERCIAL BUILDING WITH WHITE-GLAZED TERRA COTTA UNDERGOING DEMOLITION

19TH CENTURY THREE-STORY RESIDENCE ON DICKENS ISSUED DEMOLITION PERMIT

BACK-TO-BACK CHICAGO APARTMENT BUILDING DEMOLITION ON WEST BELMONT

POST-FIRE CHICAGO ITALIANATE ON ORCHARD STREET REDUCED TO RUBBLE

THE DEATH OF A SOUTH SIDE CHICAGO COMED SUBSTATION IS ON THE HORIZON

POST-FIRE ITALIANATE ROWHOUSE ON ORCHARD ON ITS WAY OUT

TWO EARLY 20TH CENTURY TWO-FLATS ON CLAREMONT AVENUE ISSUED WRECKING PERMITS

VILLAGE THEATER'S POLYCHROME TERRA COTTA FACADE STAYS, BUT THE BUILDING'S AUDITORIUM GOES

ANOTHER POST-FIRE CHICAGO RESIDENCE ON ORCHARD FACES WRECKING MACHINE

HERMAN V. VON HOLST'S SOUTHSIDE CHICAGO PRAIRIE STYLE GAITAN BUILDING (1924) THREATENED WITH DEMOLITION

WITH DEMOLITION COMPLETE, DOCUMENTATION OF SOUTH SIDE MASONIC TEMPLE DRAWS TO A CLOSE

DEMOLITION NEARING ITS END ON CLARENCE HATZFELD'S SOUTH MASONIC TEMPLE BUILDING

DOCUMENTATION OF SOUTH MASONIC TEMPLE BUILDING (1921) DEMOLITION CONTINUED, PART 6

DOCUMENTATION OF SOUTH MASONIC TEMPLE BUILDING (1921) DEMOLITION CONTINUED, PART 5

DOCUMENTATION OF SOUTH MASONIC TEMPLE BUILDING (1921) DEMOLITION CONTINUED, PART 4

D.H. BURNHAM'S CHICAGO MACHINERY EXCHANGE WAREHOUSE HANDED DEATH SENTENCE

DOCUMENTATION OF SOUTH MASONIC TEMPLE BUILDING (1921) DEMOLITION CONTINUED, PART 3

DOCUMENTATION OF SOUTH MASONIC TEMPLE BUILDING (1921) DEMOLITION CONTINUED, PART 2

CLARENCE HATZFELD'S SOUTH SIDE MASONIC TEMPLE (1921) UNDERGOING DEMOLITION, PART 1

JOHN A. KLING COMMERCIAL BUILDING (1871) DEMOLISHED SHORTLY AFTER GUTTED BY FIRE

BACK-TO-BACK DEMOLITIONS ON DAYTON STREET A DEVASTATING BLOW TO CHICAGO'S 19TH CENTURY CITYSCAPE

THE LOSS OF A SINGLE COTTAGE CAN BADLY DAMAGE THE HISTORIC FABRIC OF ITS NEIGHBORHOOD

OSCAR HEINEMAN SILK COMPANY FACTORY BUILDING UNDERGOING DEMOLITION

WORKERS COTTAGE ON LEAVITT STREET DEMOLISHED THIS WEEK

2023 WEST ERIE STREET 1860'S WORKERS COTTAGE DEMOLISHED

TWO-STORY VICTORIAN ERA CHICAGO BRICK BOARDING HOUSE ON MARSHFIELD REDUCED TO RUBBLE IN A MATTER OF HOURS

NEARLY YEAR LATER, WEST SIDE CHICAGO ITALIANATE STYLE LEMONT LIMESTONE FLATS SUCCUMB TO WRECKING BALL

RARE EARLY 1870'S GOTHIC VICTORIAN CHICAGO COTTAGE ON SEDGWICK FACES WRECKING BALL EARLY THIS WEEK

A POST-FIRE CHICAGO WOOD-FRAMED BUILDING WITH WESTERN FALSE FRONT FACADE UNDERGOING DEMOLITION

LARGELY INTACT POST-FIRE CHICAGO WOOD-FRAMED WORKERS COTTAGE RIPPED APART IN A MATTER OF HOURS

19TH CENTURY BRICK AND WOOD-FRAMED WORKER COTTAGES ARE QUIETLY DISAPPEARING FROM CHICAGO'S CITYSCAPE

DEMOLITION PERMIT ASSIGNED TO LATE 19TH CENTURY TWO-FLAT RESIDENCE ON IOWA STREET

DEATH SENTENCE HANDED TO 1870'S ITALIANATE STYLE CHICAGO RESIDENCE LOCATED AT 2033 N. HOWE STREET

ONE OF THE LAST STANDING DOWNTOWN CHICAGO POST-FIRE WORKER COTTAGES IS HURTLING TOWARDS OBLIVION

TWO-STORY MID-1880'S BRICK WORKERS COTTAGE ON MARSHFIELD STREET DEMOLISHED

QUINTESSENTIAL 1880'S CHICAGO COTTAGE ON MAUD STREET HANDED DEATH SENTENCE DESPITE WELL-MAINTAINED FACADE

BACK-TO-BACK DESTRUCTION OF TWO EXCEPTIONALLY INTACT VICTORIAN-ERA CHICAGO HOUSES

THE DEATH OF A WOOD-FRAMED POST CHICAGO FIRE COTTAGE THROUGH SEQUENTIAL PICTURES

POST-FIRE RESIDENCE WITH EXCEPTIONAL JOILET LIMESTONE FACADE ON MOHAWK MOWED DOWN EARLIER THIS WEEK

PRE-FIRE COTTAGE DEMOLITION BEHIND URBAN REMAINS OFFERS A GLIMPSE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S PAST

WELL-MAINTAINED 19TH CENTURY ITALIANATE ROWHOUSE DISSECTED THROUGH DEMOLITION

LATE 1870'S COMBINATION BRICK AND FRAME TWO-STORY BOARDING HOUSE PUNCTUATED WITH INCISED KEYSTONES REDUCED TO RUBBLE

YET ANOTHER HURON STREET WORKERS COTTAGE IN WEST TOWN SUCCUMBS TO THE RUTHLESSNESS OF THE WRECKING BALL

LATE 19TH CENTURY QUEEN ANNE-STYLE "EDWARD UIHLEIN BUILDING" IN THE WEST LOOP INCHES CLOSER TO DEMOLITION

POST-FIRE TWO-STORY COMMERCIAL BUILDING IN HEART OF OLD TOWN FACED WITH DEMOLITION

ANOTHER HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT POST-FIRE HOME WITHIN THE "BURNT DISTRICT" THREATENED WITH DEMOLITION

ONE OF CHICAGO'S OLDEST COTTAGES, REPLETE WITH HEWN BEAMS, DISCOVERED THROUGH ITS UNTIMELY DEMISE

19TH CENTURY BRICK WORKERS COTTAGE ON PIERCE STREET STRUCK DOWN BY WRECKING MACHINE

1860'S TWO-STORY GABLED FRONT WOOD-FRAMED CHICAGO COTTAGE CONSTRUCTED WITHOUT THE USE OF SHEATHING

FROST-DESIGNED LIFE INSURANCE BUILDING'S MASSIVE CARVED LIMESTONE COLUMNS TOPPLED DOWN IN A MATTER OF HOURS

RARE GLIMPSE OF INTERIOR ORPHEUM THEATER (1907) PLASTER ORNAMENT DURING DEMOLITION OF NEIGHBORING BUILDING

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

THE LOSS OF AN 1860'S-1870'S WOOD COTTAGE ON HUBBARD STREET HAUNTS ME TO THIS DAY

DEMOLITION COMPLETED ON ONE OF TWO ADJOINING 19TH CENTURY ROWHOUSES ON HURON STREET - ITS NEIGHBOR WILL SHARE SAME FATE THE FOLLOWING WEEK

DEMOLITION OF THE DANIEL A. JONES HOSPITAL BUILDING (1888) WELL UNDERWAY

POST-DEMOLITION INVESTIGATION OF WABANSIA STREET WORKERS COTTAGE AND A HISTORY OF ITS STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

MORE WRECKING ON WELLS STREET: JOHN VOLTZ HALL DEMOLISHED OVER THE WEEKEND

WITH SIGNS AND FACADE REMOVED, 1928 CEDAR HOTEL CLEARED FOR DEMOLITION

19TH CENTURY RED BRICK THREE-FLAT BOARDING HOUSE ON OHIO STREET DEMOLISHED IN A DAY

NOTHING BUT DESTRUCTION FOR 19TH CENTURY BUILDINGS ALONG WELLS STREET

SALVAGE OR NO SALVAGE, I'M COMPELLED TO DOCUMENT THE DEATH OF OLD CHICAGO BUILDINGS

A 19TH CENTURY RED BRICK ITALIANATE STYLE RESIDENCE AWAITS THE ARRIVAL OF THE WRECKING BALL

GROWING FRUSTRATION OVER ANOTHER WELL-MAINTAINED CHICAGO WORKERS COTTAGE BROUGHT DOWN BY THE WRECKING BALL

NEWLY BUILT HOMES REPLACING 19TH CENTURY HOUSES ACROSS CHICAGO AT AN ALARMING RATE

DEMOLITION OF THE FORMER ART DECO STYLE SALERNO COOKIE FACTORY NEARLY COMPLETED

THE FORMER A. FINKL & SONS SECOND AND BIGGEST FOUNDRY COMPLEX REDUCED TO RUBBLE