Missing: Original House Front
[1000 Block, east side of N. La Salle Street, March 31, 2010 /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
Why the picture of the rather bland, flat-facaded row of buildings? Well, because these
structures were among blocks of Victorian era houses that lined a street fronted with bay windows, Italianate detailing, mansard roofs and second floor entries with long staircases that stretched to the sidewalk. What happened? Their fronts were hacked off to make way for the automobile.
[800 Block, east side of N. La Salle Street ca. 1930 /Image: AIA Guide to Chicago, 2nd Edition; Artwork:
designslinger]
[800 Block, east side of N. La Salle Street,March 31, 2010 /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
In the mid-1920s Chicago, like many large urban centers, were looking for ways to make
it easier for the automobile to traverse city streets built for horses and carriages. La Salle was a great north/south alternative to the newly opened roadway known as Michigan Avenue, and as congestion built on La Salle, city planners decided to widen the street from 80 to 108 feet. Compare the two photos above and you'll get a glimpse of how the street scape changed when houses lost up to 20 feet of their frontage.
[Corner of N. La Salle and Chestnut Street, ca. 1930 and March 31, 2010 /Image: AIA Guide to Chicago, 2nd Edition;
Image & Artwork: designslinger]
It might be a little easier to see what happened if we zoom in a little closer on 851 N.
La Salle. Notice the chimney stack at the edge of the B&W photo on the left. Now look at the same chimney stack in the photo on the right. The building looks to be shorter by about 20 feet. And notice how different the window openings were in the 1880s facade compared to the 1930s redo.
There are a few survivors along the street with their original front facades still intact.
When I looked at an old plot map they sat just a little farther back on their lots than the other buildings and were spared the axe. So if you ever find yourself in the neighborhood, put on your sleuthing hat and see if you can find clues to the cases of "The Missing Facades."
Posted by designslinger at 6/14/2010 2:27 AM 
Categories: Architecture, Urbanism, Urban Planning
Tags: Chicago street widening La Salle Street
Categories: Architecture, Urbanism, Urban Planning
Tags: Chicago street widening La Salle Street
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