reallyboring.netfour stars!

This tidy 1889 frame house, now a two-flat, is one of only three buildings left standing on its entire block. Washington Park, just a stone’s throw west of the University of Chicago, is the lowest-income neighborhood in Chicago. The western edge of the neighborhood, hard up on the Dan Ryan, has much more vacant land than buildings left standing at this point. But this house soldiers on.

The area of the Lincoln Square community area bounded by the North Shore Channel, Bryn Mawr, California, and Balmoral shows a very different development pattern than the surrounding area. Density is much lower, with each house occupying two lots. And the houses are substantial, mostly built in the 1950s, ranging in style from the minimal traditional pictured above (1952) to the more mid-century modern (such as the 1953 house pictured below). I don’t know why this area was developed later and so much differently than the surroundings; perhaps it was previously the site of some large industrial enterprise?

Apparently the double-width lot wasn’t enough for the owners of the house pictured below. It’s not clear whether this was a complete teardown (of two 1952 houses) or simply a very unsympathetic merger. Either way, the home spans four normal lots, and twin garages flank the central entrance. The excess is conspicuous in what is otherwise clearly a very stable, quiet, tastefully nice neighborhood.

This house on 76th Street near Cottage Grove dates to 1888, but you wouldn’t guess it, thanks to the amazing sunroom that engulfs the front of the house. What follows are the other photos that I took between 7:08pm and 7:09pm on August 6, 2011, in reverse order. In case anyone was wondering why I have so many photos stockpiled, this is how it happens!

Another 1888 house, immediately next door to the previous one.

A 1923 brick two-flat a block on the other side of Cottage Grove along 76th.

A commanding 1916 four-flat a few blocks west of that. All this in one minute, from my bike!

This house (actually a 6-flat, somehow) on Balmoral is a fairly unpretentious Victorian-era apartment building, of a piece with the overall feel of Andersonville: pleasant, solid, charming without aiming for glitz and glamor. The ornament above the entrance and the tower with the bell roof betray its age; it was built in 1893. The shingle siding could use a refresh, as it’s turned a bit shabby, but it’s still nice to behold.

Clark Street, nearby, is the busy commercial heart of Andersonville. It can get hectic, but it’s always possible to escape to a pleasant spot, such as Joie de Vine, a funky wine bar further west on Balmoral.

Though technically part of Edgewater, Andersonville is a world away from the lakefront, lined with highrises and driven by the bustle of Lakeshore Drive and the CTA’s lakefront lines. Though even those have their delights, like the nearly-intact vintage 1921 station at Berwyn.

This 1926 bungalow is part of a long block of near-identical houses, varying solely in brick color.

Its landscaping is a bit barren, which is not terribly surprising given that it sits on the ragged edge of Cicero Avenue’s sprawling commercialism.

The block of houses is quite charming, though – as even Cicero Avenue can be, surprisingly enough.

North Lawndale was established as a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, and many impressive synagogues were built in the area. Anshe Kenesseth Israel was one of the largest, built in 1913 (Aroner & Somers, architects) at Douglas Boulevard and Homan. The neighborhood transitioned to nearly all-black in the 1950s, and the synagogues were sold to churches. In 1962, Friendship Baptist Church purchased this building. According to neighborhood activists, Dr. King spoke here during his 1966 stay in Chicago. Friendship Baptist stayed in the building until 1982, when they moved to a brand new, African-inspired building at Jackson & Laramie, where they remain.

Shepherd’s Temple Missionary Baptist Church was the next occupant of the building. They seem to have been there until approximately 1997, based on remaining bulletin board posts inside. I can’t find any information about what became of the congregation, but the building seems to have been vacant since then.

The building has deteriorated significantly in the intervening years. Scrappers have wrecked much of the basement to remove valuable metal equipment, and the roof is increasingly open to the elements. The interiors are unsalvageable, and the side walls are of dubious structural integrity – which is why the city has now obtained an order for emergency demolition. Despite the apparent decay, this is still a relatively solid building of steel and concrete. If there were sufficient resources, it could be saved. But this is almost certainly not the case, so it seems that this building will be demolished at age 99. I was fortunate enough to visit it twice and take extensive photos of the exterior and interior; what follows are highlights.

The front facade is solid, and beautifully-ornamented, betraying the building’s origins.

Unfortunately, the side walls and roof have deteriorated substantially – likely the basis on which demolition is now assured.

The basement is pretty trashed. It didn’t get this way by itself; people stole mechanical equipment, knocked out walls, and piled up garbage.

The entry vestibule on the ground floor was clearly once quite lavish, with marble paneling. The doors with cross-shaped windows are more austere, but admit beautiful light even still.

The main floor vestibule, outside the sanctuary/auditorium, is also quite deteriorated.

At the front of the sanctuary is a baptistry, a small swimming pool surmounted by a cross the once held fluorescent lights.

There are signs for the previous two churches, which were clearly cut to fit the front of the building.

The balconies, which are still quite solid, allow you to get up close to some of the beautiful detail in the main room – but also some of the worst destruction.

You can see just how modern – and probably still solid – the structure is.

There are tantalizing bits of the original stained glass still intact.

The balcony and the baptistry each provide the most amazing views of the room as a whole.

Our sense of history will be diminished without this proud, beautiful building. I hope it gives the demolition contractors a damn hard time.