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.

Trip 109: Powhatan Apartments

Date: July 1, 2011

Trip: 109

Landmarks Visited: 1

Landmarks To-Date: 307

Landmarks Remaining: 46

I started off my 4th of July weekend by heading down to Hyde Park on Friday after work. Hyde Park is a neighborhood with a lot of mature trees, and you could definitely see some damage to them from the storm that we had earlier in the week.

I often say that one of the (few) things I miss about living in Chicago is thunderstorms--but this week's storm definitely helped make up for that. It started with high winds from the lake. From my apartment I could see some of the biggest waves I've ever seen on Lake Michigan. A newly planted evergreen tree on my balcony did not fare well. Then the wind abruptly stopped and there was some  spectacular lightening. I repeatedly saw bolts that seemed to touch down to the surface of Lake Michigan. Next came heavy rain and hail. Garfield Park Conservatory on the west side seemed to get the worst of the hail damage. I read that in some parts of the building 90% of the glass panels were shattered by the storm.

Back to landmarks--I went to Hyde Park to see the Powhatan Apartments. This art deco high rise overlooks a park and Lake Michigan. The most notable feature of the building is the tile work on the facade using Native American motifs. Interestingly, the tiles on the lowest floors are black, with more colorful and more abstract designs on the upper floors. The building is named for a Native American chief.

Trip 108: Villa District

Date: June 26, 2011

Trip: 108

Landmarks Visited: 1

Landmarks To-Date: 306

Landmarks Remaining: 47

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon Shawn and I visited the Villa District. It's basically a housing development for the early 1900's that was initially all bungalows. It's located on the north side not far from where we live in Lakeview.

Probably the best word to describe the Villa District would be quaint. The neighborhood has tree-lined streets that are marked by stone flower planters that were originally lamp posts. The trees make the neighborhood unusually quiet for Chicago, especially considering that the Kennedy Expressway and Metra tracks are literally adjacent to the area.

Virtually every house appears to be well maintained, and from the same general era. It has very much the feel of the Frank Lloyd Wright district of Oak Park, on more of a Chicago budget.

Trip 107: Hot Sunday Morning

Date: June 5, 2011

Trip: 107

Landmarks Visited: 6

Landmarks To-Date: 305

Landmarks Remaining: 48

On this unseasonably hot Sunday I passed another milestone. I have now seen over 300 landmarks. It made me start thinking about if/ when I see the last landmark. I plan to buy myself a bottle of champagne.

1. Site of the John and Mary Jones House

John and Mary Jones were early civil rights activists. Unfortunately, there is nothing left of their home. I wasn't even able to find a landmark plaque.

2. St. Charles Air Line Bridge

It took a little research to learn why this railroad bridge is called an 'air line' bridge. Apparently it was one of the first movable bridges to utilize air buffered pistons. Its span was also shortened when it was moved to its current position when the underlying portion of the river was straightened.

3. Engine Company 65, Truck 52

This landmark took me to a neighborhood that I had never visited before--Brighton Park.

4. Eighth Regiment Armory

This building was the first armory in the United States built for an African-American military regiment. Today it is a public high school/military academy.

5. Elam House

This house is definitely my favorite landmark of this trip. It's another Chateauesque mansion along one of Chicago's original boulevards. Unfortunately, a 1992 fire destroyed the interior of the building. It has yet to be restored, but the exterior appears to be in excellent condition. From the 1930's through the 70's the house was used as a boarding house for underprivileged women and girls.

6. Chicago Orphan Asylum Building

This building was originally an orphanage. Later it became a community center and was part of the Chicago Black Renaissance of the 30's and 40's. Today it is a Baptist institute.