Chicago Evening Post, April 8, 1869
The present season, which is mournfully termed a backward one by the farmers of the country, who ought long since to have had their plows at work, is also backward in regard to building enterprises in the city. The delay in the latter respect is caused both by the continued unfavorable weather which has made the roads impassable and out-door-work uncomfortable, and also by the fact that the excitement in real estate transactions has tended to bring more money to the real estate dealer than to the house builder. A visit to the offices of some of our principal architects shows that while a great number of enterprises are talked of and being figured over, a comparatively small number have assumed definiteness. Enough, however, are under WAy to Assure us that, notwithstanding tho immense amount of building in this city and suburbs last year, a host of new structures will be added during 1869, and that while the number may not be as great, the general character will probably be better then those of former years.
Among the new structures will be several fine churches and school houses, one or more hotels, and many costly business blocks and residences,—a great number of the latter being located in the rapidly growing suburbs. The following list, while it is very incomplete, and does not the pretend to show what is already doing in way of building, enumerates a number of fine structures proposed in different parts of the city, and will give an idea of what may be expected as soon as the building season is fairly inaugurated.
F. & E. Baumann, Architects and Superintendents,
Office 158 Washington street, room 5, report the following :
North Side. -A brick and stone building, four stories and basement, size 26×100, corner Clark and Illinois streeta, for John D. Hacke, Esq.; will be erected during the summer at a cost of $23,000.
A marble front building, five stories. and basement, size 50×100, corner Kinzie and Cass streets, for Messrs. Kraeft, Roelle & Co; cost $25,000.
A brick and stone building, three stories and basement, size 20×75, North Clark street near Huron street, for Edward Lang, Esq.; cost $9,000.
A brick and stone building, three stories and basement, size adjoining the above building of Mr. Lang’s, for Conrad Wegence, Esq.; cost $9,000.
A brick building, three stories. and basement, corner Wells and Division streets, size 20×00, for Henry Hochbaum, Esq.; cost, $8,500.
Two frame buildings, stores and dwellings above; on Franklin street, size.38×66; for Fred. Frillman, Esq.; cost $4,500.
A brick dwelling house for Albert Schultze, Esq., size 23×50, on Center avenue; cost, $3,500,
Two brick dwelling houses, three stories and basement, on Ontarto street, near 8t. Clair street, for Judge Gary and Mrs. J. Higginson; cost, $22,000.:
South-Side—A first-class marble front building, four stories and basement, corner Clark and Monroe streets, for George Taylor, Esq.; size of building, 45×90, upper stories for offices: will be completed August 1st, at a cost of $45,000.
A marble front building, on Monroe street, four stories and basement, and in the rear of this building a four story and basement building, 22½ x70, for Messrs. Taylor & Gregory; cost $33,000.
A first-class marble front building, four stories and basement, corner Madison and LaSalle streets, size 25×100, for Max Schneizer, Esq.; cost: $12,000.
A stone front building, for offices, four stories and basement. the first story to be occupied by the Mutual Life Ingurance Co., of Chicago, to be erected on Wells street, near Randolph street, for Merrill Ladd, Esq.; cost $93,000.
An office building, 61×70, three stories high, in the rear of 152-158 Washington street, for Messrs. A. D. & H. Reed; cost $20,000.
A brick and stone dwelling house, two stories, basement and sub-cellar, on Michigan avenue near Fourteenth street; size, 31×60. For Leopold Miller, Esq.; cost, $12,000.
Four frame buildings, stores and dwellings, on State near Twenty-ninth street, 72×48 feet. For George Taylor, Esq.; cost, $6,000.
Messrs. Loring & Jenney, Architects,
Commercial Building, have the following:
Hotel on Elizabeth street near Washington, 56 feet front, full depth of lot, 5 stories above side walk, elegantly finished throughout, court yard with fountain, and ornamented to be a first class family hotel; stone front; 5 bay windows, etc.
Store for H. Huntington, cut-stone front, three stories, on corner of State and Sixteenth streets.
Residence for J. F. Regotz, on First street near Reuben.
On corner of Calumet avenue and Twenty-second street, Messrs. Placey & Stoors, architects, are erecting, for Mr. D. C. Nichols, a double three-story and basement marble-front residence, 64×50 feet in size, and which will cost $22,000.
Six very fine brick buildings have, during the winter, been in process of erection on Michigan avenue, just south of the city limits, and four miles from the Court House. They are two-story and basement structures, having French roofs, and will cost about $75,000. They are situated on lots having a frontage of 900 feet, and are owned by Messrs. B. Philpot, H. E. Picket and a Mr. Sherman. The buildings will be finished during the spring.
Opposite are three similar structures, two of which are owned by A. C. Badger and the other by H. H. Honore. The first two are 39×66 feet in size, two stories and basement, with French roof, and the other 28×68 feet. They will cost about $6,000.
Washington street is rapidly undergoing a radical change, and ere long its beauties will be completely metamorphosed. The old lordly private mansions of yore, once the retreat of the wealthy, are “changing front,” and it will soon be one of the most popular business thoroughfares. Following the reconstruction of two residences into “photographic temples,” are two new houses in the immediate vicinity. No. 29 Washington street is now being altered to a business place for B. Barnard, Esq. The old front is extended to the street in front, and to the alley at the rear. The total cost will be about $19,000. The present dimensions are three stories and basement. No. 30, opposite, a similar dwelling, is also being transformed to a store, as above. The back part is but two stories high.
Kinney & Adler, the architects of Brand’s building, are engaged on both the above.
Edward Burling is now erecting fine building for ex-Lieut. Gov. William Bross, located on the corner of Franklin and Washington streets. It is 100 feet by 80, four stories high, built of brick, and will contain seven stores in the first story. It will probably be completed in October, about as it is now under way, and will cost about $60,000. It will be of different design from the Iverson monument, but decidedly more useful, and erected on a more reliable foundation.
Mr. Burling is also the architect of St. James’ church, on the corner of Cass and Huron streets, and work will soon be resumed upon it.
Messrs. Kinney & Adler have also plans for the erection of first-class block of seven houses, with stone front, three stories and basement, stone front, on Indiana avenue, between Twentieth and Twenty-first streets, built for Mr. Chas. Busby, as a residence. Each will cost about $16,000. They will be 48×75 feet.
Also a block of two residences on Prairie avenue, two story and basement; the other details as above. The cost to be $18,000 for both.
A church. for the First United Presbyterian Congregation, situated on West Monroe and Paulina streets, to be 59×97 feet in size, and capable of seating 500 persons, will also be built. It will have a commodious basement and excellent arrangements for ventilation. Considerable terra-cotta and galvanized iron will be used in the place of out stone in this structure. They will also erect a frame dwelling for Engel & Livingston, on Third avenue, near Polk, to be two stories high, 21×63 feet dimension, and to cost $8,500.
A block of six stores is going. up at the corner of Ontario and Clark streets, brick, with marble front, facing 109 feet on Clark street by 80 on Ontario. They will be four stories high, and cost $60,000. The whole upper part, excepting the two north stores, will be used as a hotel.
A new building is contemplated to take the the place of Jessel’s old frame auction store, on Randolph street, near Clark. Its dimenstops will be 40 by 180 feet, five stories high. The lower part will be used as a store, and the upper as offices. The cost will be about $60,000. C. C. and F. P. Opdyke are the owners.
The Home of the Friendless, on the corner of Wabash avenue and Twentieth street, will be remodeled and receive an addition of 22 by 84 feet. The whole will then be covered with a new slate roof. The cost will probably be $35,000.
On the corner of Michigan avenue and Twenty-first street a new residence is to be built for F. Haskell, to be 42½ by 46 fret, with an ell 22 by 24 feet. The style is brick, with stone front and bay windows.
A large boarding house for Mr. A. J. Galloway, will be built on the corner of Michigan avenue and Congress street. It will be 44 by 110 feet, and five stories high. All the modern boarding house convenience will be applied. The cost will be $50,000.
Mr. Henry Grues will build a brick dwelling on Schuller street, between Clark and LaSalle, 44 feet front by 46 deep, two stories high with basement.
The old skating ground on Twenty-second street, between Michigan and Wabash avenues, is to be covered with a handsome hotel building.
On Michigan handsome avenue and Twenty-second street a handsome store is going up for Bliss & Sharp, druggists.
Daniel Thompson will soon erect a building on the corner of Prairie avenue and Twentieth street. The lot has a frontage of 150 feet. The house will be either brown stone or marble, and cost about $100,000.
Mr. Geo. M. Pullman is also about to build a residence on the same avenue, which will cost about as much.
The small frame structures which recently east occupied the lots on Madison street directly east of McVicker’s Theatre have been moved away, and in their stead Judge Otis is erecting a four-story brick block of about sixty feet front, as an addition to the block on the corner of State and Madison streets, also owned by him.
Messrs. Kent & Co. are about to erect a four-story, marble front office block, on Monroe street, just west of Clark street. It will be used entirely for offices, and will cost about $40,000. Messrs. Wilson and Grant are the contractors.
Messrs. Campbell & Seele are about to erect a four-story and basement marble-front building on Clark, just south of Madison street, that will cost in the neighborhood of $30,000. There is talk of removing the brick cottage on the adjoining lot, and replacing it with a fine marble-front structure, but nothing definite has been decided.
A handsome marble-front block is to be commenced, on the 1st of May, on the northeast corner of LaSalle and Madison streets.
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