Trip 110: A Beautiful Summer Saturday Near Hyde Park

Date: July 9, 2011

Trip: 110

Landmarks Visited: 5

Landmarks To-Date: 312

Landmarks Remaining: 41

On this sunny Saturday morning I headed back to the Hyde Park area to see 5 more landmarks.

1. Heller House

This is a beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright design. I thought I was being very insightful noticing that the house combined elements of Wright's Prairie Style with Louis Sullivan's more ornate decoration. Then I read the landmark plaque and realized that it said the exact same thing.

I also noticed that the main entrance to the house was on the side, rather than directly facing the street. I think this makes a house less inviting, but it must have been a trend at the time. I noticed that a number of the bungalow houses in the Villa District also have side entrances. 

2. Engine Company 45, Truck 15

This firehouse is the same design that seems to have been common across many of Chicago's stations. The main design elements are red brick with light-colored stone decoration.

3. Keck-Gottschalk-Keck Apartments

This building is a 3 flat residential building in the International Style. It was definitely ahead of its time design wise. At first I walked right past it thinking that it was a contemporary building. With the surrounding mature trees, it also doesn't have the greatest street presence. This building also has a side entrance, which makes seem even a little more inaccessible.

4. St. Gelasius Church Building

This is yet another church building that had a major fire. The interior was apparently gutted in a 1976 fire and the building was expected to be demolished. Then the Catholic diocese gave the building to an order of priests called Institute of Christ the King. This group is trying to renovate the building and make it a shrine.

Apparently the church was originally called St. Clara, but I can't find any explanation for the change to St. Gelasius. I think churches usually only change names when they are taken over by another denomination. But this church seems to have always been a Roman Catholic parish. My guess is that as the ethnic mix of the neighborhood changed, church members just wanted a new name.

5. Lorado Taft's Midway Studios

This artist's studio is now part of the University of Chicago. I have photos of the studio itself, and the attached house that I assume was his home. I know this artist best was his work "Fountain of Time" which is still located not far from his studio.