Out with Society and Into the Limelight
[Chicago Historical Society Building (1892) Chicago; Henry Ives Cobb, architect /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
When the Chicago Historical Society built this building in 1892, they wanted to make sure
that it wasn't going to burn down. The Society had lost most of its collection in the Great Fire of 1871 and if they could do anything to insure that it wouldn't happen again, this building was going to do the job.
[Marquette and Joliet arriving in Chicago in 1673 /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
The organization had occupied the site prior to the fire and built a small, temporary brick
structure to regroup in and rebuild their collection. They occupied their "temporary" structure for 22 years. It took that long to raise money for the new, fire-proof home that architect Henry Ives Cobb gave them with its 2-foot thick walls and steel safes in the basement.
[From the Limelight to Excaliber /Images & Artwork: designslinger]
The Society vacated the building after just 40 years. In 1932 they moved to a new brick
building in Chicago's Lincoln Park and Cobb's castle was sold. But it was hard to find tenants and the old place was vacant more often than occupied. It stood alone, forlorn and almost forgotten, in a neighborhood that had seen better days. Then in 1985 New York nightclub impresario Peter Gatien bought the building and converted it into the Limelight. Gatien had taken over an old church in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood and in 1983 opened the New York Limelight, which had become that city's hottest hot spot. There was no place like it in Chicago, and I spent more than my fair share of time partying in the cavernous space late into the night. It was the definition of club life in the mid-80s. In 1989 Gatien closed up shop in Cobb's pile of granite, and under a new owner Limelight became Excaliber. I've read that the interior was completely reworked into smaller more intimate spaces with more light and less black paint. Apparently the venue is still a big draw for the tourist and suburban crowds who flood a booming entertainment district which has taken over the old neighborhood.
Posted by designslinger at 4/13/2010 2:20 AM 
Categories: Architecture, History
Tags: Henry Ives Cobb nightclubs Chicago Historical Society
Categories: Architecture, History
Tags: Henry Ives Cobb nightclubs Chicago Historical Society
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