Trip 106: Four South Side Neighborhoods

Date: June 4, 2011

Trip: 106

Landmarks Visited: 6

Landmarks To-Date: 299

Landmarks Remaining: 54

On this hot and humid Saturday morning I drove to four south side neighborhoods (Pilsen, Chinatown, Bronzeville and Kenwood) to see six landmarks.

1. Thalia Hall

This building was originally built as a community center when the neighborhood was primarily Bohemian. Today the neighborhood is primarily Latino and the building houses a restaurant and appears to be undergoing some renovations.

2. Schoenhofen Brewery

This building appears to be perfectly maintained, but there isn't any signage to indicate what company currently occupies it.

This building is located next door to the brewery building. At first I thought it might be part of the brewery complex, but I think the Star of David on the facade rules that out. I thought the architectural detail made the building worth a couple of photos regardless of its landmark status.

3. James Ward Public School

This is Chicago's oldest school building still in use as a school.

4. Unity Hall

I especially liked the coats of arms above the main entrance to the building.

5. Pilgrim Baptist Church

This church burnt in 2006 and all that remains are portions of the facade. The structure built to support the remaining facade is pretty impressive itself. The building was originally designed by Adler and Sullivan and had a central structure that rose above the surviving walls. Plans are to rebuild the church assuming that adequate funds can be raised.

6. South Side Trust & Savings Bank Building

This building is still in use as a bank. Today it is a branch of Urban Partnership Bank.



Trip 105: Railroad Bridges Day Two

Date: May 30, 2011

Trip: 105

Landmarks Visited: 3

Landmarks To-Date: 293

Landmarks Remaining: 60

On Memorial Day I headed out with Shawn for a second day of visiting railroad bridges.

1. Chicago & Illinois Western Railway Bridge

In the first two photos, the bridge in question is the one in the foreground with the graffiti. The limits of my camera's zoom capabilities prevented me from getting a good photo. From some web research, I learned that what makes this bridge unique is that it rolls back a short distance as it cantilevers upward.

The third photo is not mine. I found it on the web and it better shows the mechanical portions of the bridge.

2. Illinois Central Railroad Swing Bridge 2

This bridge and its twin below both swing from a central pier to open.

3. Illinois Central Railroad Swing Bridge 1

Trip 104: Railroad Bridges

Date: May 29, 2011

Trip: 104

Landmarks Visited: 3

Landmarks To-Date: 290

Landmarks Remaining: 63

I set out on Saturday morning with a plan to see six landmarked railroad bridges. But I learned that railroad bridges are hard to get to. First, they're located on private property. Second they tend to be surrounded by industrial property with no easy access. So I ended up having to find roadway bridges with views of the target railroad bridges, or nearby city parks that happen to have a clear view. The process took longer than expected, and the rain cut my day short at just three bridges.

1. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Bridge

This bridge is abandoned, and it doesn't seem that it will ever be used for trains again. The east side of the bridge is almost on top of the Merchandise Mart building. And the west side of the bridge is very close to residential condos. It also might be permanently rusted open. 

2. Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge

This bridge reminded me somewhat in appearance of the Tower Bridge in London. But instead of the center of the bridge being cantilevered, the entire deck is lifted upward along the towers.

3. Pennsylvania Railroad "Eight Track" Bridge

This bridge appears to be four side by side bridges. Two of the bridges appear to cantilever toward one shore, and two to the other shore. I was thinking that the bridges probably look like scissors as they open and close for boats to pass.

Trip 103: The Most Remote Landmark

Date: May 7, 2011

Trip: 103

Landmarks Visited: 2

Landmarks To-Date: 287

Landmarks Remaining: 66

1. Illinois-Indiana State Line Boundary Marker

On a rainy Saturday morning I was driving to Toledo for a Mother's Day visit. I stopped by what I think is probably the most remote (or at least the most difficult to find) landmark in Chicago. It's the border marker between Illinois and Indiana. It's located at the entrance to the State Line Generating Plant, which itself it wedged between the Skyway toll road and Lake Michigan. You have to drive through a residential neighborhood and then down a one lane road along railroad tracks to get to it. When you find it, you definitely have the feeling that you're trespassing on private property.

The marker was moved to it's current location--I'm guessing due to the construction of the Skyway. It's not a lot to look at, but it is one of the oldest surviving structures in Chicago. 

 

2. Drake Fountain

On the way to the boundary marker, I also stopped by Drake Fountain. The interesting thing is that it doesn't appear to be a fountain at all. According to the city's website, it was originally an "ice water fountain" donated by John Drake and the Italian government. I'd never heard this term before, and oddly wasn't able to find a good definition on the web. I'm assuming that blocks of ice were put there in the summertime to provide cool water for residents, but it's not obvious how that would have worked with the structure that remains there today at least.