Life Span: 1869-1871
Location: SE corner State and Madison
Architect:
- Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1869
Hinsdale & Sharkey (Nehemiah C. Hinsdale and William Sharkey), agts. James Sharkey’s marble works, State, se. cor. Madison
Chicago Evening Post, March 20, 1869
Monument Works.
An opportunity is afforded to our citizens and all lovers of the fine arts to see the celebrated bust of Lincoln, from Florence, Italy, at the establishment of Messrs. Hinsdale & Sharkey, which these gentlemen have secured for a short time. Those of our readers who have not visited these new monument works, corner of State and Madison streets, should do so, and examine the work there on exhibition and sale. Messrs. Hinsdale & Sharkey have brought to our city a class of monuments, mantels, statuary and plumbers’ work far superior to anything ever before seen in Chicago, and those who intend purchasing will find it to their advantage to examine this stock.
Chicago Tribune, December 20, 1868
Statuary and Monuments.
Chicago is soon to have one of the finest buildInge in which marble statuary and monuments will be sold in the United States. The traditional marble yard is a dingy-looking affair, and resembles a store quarry more than anything else, and the Sharkey Monument works, of Brooklyn, N. Y., taking this fact into consideration, commenced, a short time ago, the erection of a hand some structure on the corner of State Madison streets. It is now nearly completed will, undoubtedly, be ready for occupancy on the first day of January next. The building is a brick one, thirty feet wide by seventy feet long two stories in height, with a basement running its entire length. The height of the ceiling of the basement is nine feet six that of the story, eighteen feet six inches, and that of second story sixteen feet and inches. The front of the building, as well as the side on Madison street, is ornamented with a balcony. The arches over the windows are marble.
The first floor is lighted by large bulk windows, eight in number. In the basement there will be placed no less than fifty samples of marble mantels, ranging in price from $35 to $1,100, so that any one in ordinary circumstances, as well as millionaires, be accommodated. The first floor will be for displaying marble monuments, while the one above will be devoted to garden statuary both bronze and marble. On the lot adjoining, to the south, which is thirty feet in width by one hundred feet in length, granite monuments of sizes and varieties will be sett up. Mr. C. N. Birsdale is the agent of the works. He has been located in Chicago for some six months past, during that time has disposed of a large number of monuments, the aggregate prices of which were over $75,000. One of his most recent sales was a sarcophagus to the administrators of the late Winham Jones, for $10,000, which is to placed in Oakwood Cemetery.
Chicago Evening Post, March 27, 1869
Monument Works.
Possibly there are a few of our citizens who have not yet availed themselves of the opportunity offered by Messrs. Hinsdale & Sharkey, at their new monument works, corner of State and Madison streets, to see the celebrated bust of Lincoln, still there on exhibition. This rare gem of art, together with the many equally meritorious pieces of statuary and moments, are far superior to anything of the kind we have ever seen in Chicago, even for an admission fee. An invitation is again extended to all our readers to call and examine these new works, and we promise those who do so a cordial reception and gentlemanly attention. Do not fail to see the bust of Lincoln during the next few days.
- The corner of State and Madison, looking Northeast from ruins of the Chicago Tribune Building at Dearborn and Madison.
- State and Madison
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
1869
② SE Corner
Hinsdale & Sharkey (Nehemiah C. Hinsdale and William Sharkey), agts. James Sharkey’s marble works, State, se. cor. Madison
Bowen, Whitman & Winslow Block (1870) 131-137 State—Old buildings removed by Bowen, Whitman & Winslow in 1868
