Published by the Hyde Park Historical Society
The Washington Park Fireproof Warehouse and its Architect, Argyle E. Robinson
By Leslie Hudson
building in Hyde Park is turning one Ahundred years old this year. This building doesn't call much attention to itself. Driving by you might notice its bright orange awning but, unless you have rented a space within it, you may never have stopped to study the structure. But the next time you pass by, do stop-it's a unique and important building that deserves a good long look. It is the Hyde Park Self Storage building at 5155 Sou th Cottage Grove Avenue, originally called the Washington Park Fireproof Warehouse. Construction of the Washington Park Fireproof Warehouse began in 1905 during a period when many household storage buildings were being erected in Chicago, especially in its southern residential areas. Other warehouses built during this storage building heyday were once located nearby on Cottage Grove and Drexel Avenues. Although these other warehouses have been demolished, the Washington Park Fireproof Warehouse survives, and even continues to operate as a storage warehouse-its original function. And, thanks to the building's sturdy design and construction, and careful stewardship by its owners over the years, the building's original exterior has The Washington Park Fireproof Warehouse in 1905. The building doubled in size and remained intact. Today the building looks took on its current appearance with the north addition, built in 1907. almost identical to its appearance in ~8 2 ~
«0 photographs from the early 1900s. most noteworthy features of the building and was The Washington Park Warehouse was constructed probably the work of northern European immigrants, in two phases. If you stand across Cottage Grove and whose skill with masonty can be seen on many look at the front of the building you notice that the important buildings from the Chicago School period. design on the facade repeats itself on the right and left Also distinctive are the three framed panels, centered sides. The right (southern) half corresponds to the first above the building's Cottage Grove entrance, which building, constructed on the corner of 52nd Street in originally contained terra cotta lettering that read 1905. In 1907 the warehouse doubled in size when a "The Washington Park Fire Proof Ware House." The nearly identical building was added to the north. The lettering in the upper panels has been removed so that double vertical band in the center of the building today it simply reads "Fire Proof Ware House." marks the junction of the two buildings. The unusual brickwork seen on the Washington The building looks a bit like a solid brick cube. Its Park Fireproof Warehouse was a hallmark of its unusual appearance is mostly due to the job it was architect, Argyle E. Robinson. Sixteen Chicago designed for, providing fireproof storage. The building buildings are known to have been designed by has very few windows, and most are small, to deprive Robinson. Of these, twelve are still standing and four potential fires of oxygen. Only the office, located on are located in Hyde Park. The Washington Park the first floor, was provided with large windows. A Fireproof Warehouse was one of Robinson's earliest commlSSlOns. Argyle Robinson's father, Colin Robinson, came to the United States from Argyleshire, Scotland in 1830. He married Ann Eggleston, of New York, and they settled in Bloomington, Illinois, where their two children, William Colin Robinson and Argyle Eggleston Robinson, were born (in 1868 and 1872). In 1874 the Robinson family moved to Hyde Park. Argyle attended Hyde Park High School and the Chicago Manual Training School. He then studied architecture at the Armour Instirute ofTechnology (now the Illinois Institute of Technology) and, from 1896-7, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1898, Argyle married Elizabeth Burleson, of Chicago, and in 1900 he began practicing architecture in downtown Chicago. The couple remained in Hyde 1913 postcard of the Washington Park Fire-Proof Warehouse, Silver Vaults Park, residing first with Argyle's parents at 5400 building with so few windows presented the architect Jefferson (now Harper) Avenue; they later lived at with two problems: one, he wasn't able to ornament 5406 and 5227 Harper Avenue. Argyle and the building in the usual way by using pleasing Elizabeth's only child, Margaret, was born in 1899. arrangements of windows, and two, he had large Another early Robinson design was the expanses of blank wall. His solution was to cover the Underwriters Laboratories Building, built the same entire surface of the building with raised brick year as the Washington Park Fireproof Warehouse. It's patterns. He ran brick stripes across the center of the possible that a family connection led to this important facades, outlined the building's edges with a band commission for Robinson. pattern, and placed star motifs in the upper corners. Underwriters Laboratories was formed shortly after A critic in 1908 observed, "(The architect] has the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, which had treated the flat surface nearly as a designer of rock-cut popularized the use of electricity. In the electric tomb fronts would have proceeded in Asia Minor industry's early years electrical fires were common and about three hundred years B.C." A little disappointed, it was soon apparent that product testing and safety he continues: "We must approach a building like this standards were needed. Argyle's older brother, W. C. one without too strong an architecruralleaning. We Robinson (also a Hyde Park resident), helped found must accept it as a huge square-edged block of solid Underwriters Laboratories, was one of its safety material which the artist has been obliged to treat engineers, and eventually became a company vice with patterns in slight relief. . . " (Russell Sturgis, from president. An expert on fire prevention and The Architecrural Record.) protection, W.c. often lectured on fire safety. He gave The craftsmanship of this brickwork is one of the talks with titles such as "Iron Fire Door and Shutter,"
~ l~ nll 2005 3 ~~ and spoke to the Fire Insurance Club of Chicago about Despite efforts to save the building-it was the use of automatic sprinklers in buildings. considered for both Chicago Landmark designation In 1905 Underwriters Laboratories was ready to and National Register listing-the Underwriters move out of makeshift facilities and into a building Laboratories Building was demolished in 1981-82. better suited for their purposes. The building they The Grand Ohio Condominiums, built in 1984, now hired Argyle Robinson to design for them was located stands on the site. at 207 East Ohio Street and housed the company's In the years immediately following the construction main office and the testing laboratories. Like his of the Underwriters Laboratories Building and the Washington Park Fireproof Warehouse, the Washington Park Fireproof Warehouse, Robinson Underwriters Laboratories Building was of brick designed three residential buildings in Hyde Park. All construction and, because it contained laboratories to are still in existence. The William G. Hale House, conduct tests of flammability and combustion, it too located at 5757 South Kimbark Avenue, was built in was extremely fireproof. The exteriors looked similar 1908 and for many years was the home of Florence as well; both buildings featured raised brick strip Lowden Miller. Florence Miller was the daughter of Frank Lowden, a U.S. Representative and Governor of Illinois, and of Florence Pullman, daughter of George Pullman and namesake of Pullman's Hotel Florence. The William G. Hale House seems atypical of Robinson's work, perhaps because it was extensively remodeled in the 1930s or 1940s. Next door, at 1308 East 58th Street and also built in 1908, is the James Parker Hall House. Hall was one of the original faculty members of the University of Chicago Law School. Hyde Park's third Robinson residential building is located around the corner, at 5714 South The Washington Park Fireproof Warehouse today. Kenwood. It is an L- shaped apartment designs and terra cotta lettering panels. The building that was built in 1909 for the Chicago U nderwri ters Laboratories Building well served the Theological Seminary. Robinson's plan allowed for U.L.'s needs and also provided architects and the possible future expansion to the sourh. The addition of business community with a model of fireproof a mirror-image structure (planned, but never construction. constructed) would have created a U-shaped building The Underwriters Laboratories Building was surrounding a central courtyard. expanded numerous times. Argyle Robinson designed Argyle Robinson was active in the Chicago the first addition, constructed in 1908. Later additions Architects' Business Association and by 1913 was by Schmidt, Garden and Martin closely followed serving as its president. In 1912 there was an Robinson's initial buildings. In 1979 Underwriters architecture scandal in Chicago when the Home Laboratories moved their main office to Northbrook, Theater collapsed; shoddy workmanship and unsafe Illinois, and the Ohio Street building became vacant. designs were subsequently discovered in other ~e
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"'. theaters. Argyle Robinson made strong statements in defense of public safety, decrying faulty Beatrix Potter construction practices, questioning the qualifications of the Board of Examiners and raising the issue of and Lichens inadequate licensing examinations for architects. Elizabeth Robinson, Argyle's wife, died in 1903. In By Caroline Herzenberg 1911, Argyle married Maude Leonard Towson and sometime after 1916, Argyle, Maude and daughter I was inspired by Frances Vandervoort's interesting Margaret moved from Hyde Park to Hinsdale. They article about lichens in Hyde Park in the most recent resided there, at 3 5 (now 7) South Oak Street, until at issue of Hyde Park History ("Lichens on the Rocks least 1938. A neighbor on Oak Street, incidentally, and Trees," Hyde Park History Vol. 27, #2, p. 4, was fellow architect R. Harold Zook; Zook lived at summer 2005) to write a note about the history of our 327 South Oak Street from 1924 to 1949. (Zook's knowledge of lichens. These small organisms that we home, threatened with demolition, has recently been see growing on trees and rocks have been recognized in the news.) since time immemorial, but it was not until the late Argyle Robinson's business office remained in 1800s that their extraordinary and unique character downtown Chicago after the move to Hinsdale, and became known. Robinson continued to figure prominently in Chicago's As a young woman, Beatrix Potter (yes, THE architectural community. In 1926, Mayor William E. Beatrix Potter, author of "Peter Rabbit" and other Dever appointed him to the position of City Architect, children's stories) was an exceptionally talented a post Robinson held until 1929. During this period amateut botanist. She had a deep interest in botany, he designed many firehouses constructed throughout especially in fungi and related organisms including the city. In 2003, four of these firehouses were lichens, and she advanced the new idea that lichens designated Chicago Landmarks. Two can be seen near were not just a simple plant but rather were formed Hyde Park, at 5349 South Wabash Avenue and 4600 from a merger of fungi and algae in something like a South Cottage Grove Avenue. symbiotic relationship. (According to the Hyde Park The last building Robinson was involved with History article, this relationship is now recognized as seems to have been the Central Police Station at 1121 helot ism, a mild form ofparasitism - I've just South State Street, built in 1928 while he was City learned something new!). Architect. The building was designed by the firm of This remarkable woman prepared a scientific paper Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, with Robinson on this subject that was presented to the prestigious acting as associate architect. When it was finished the Linnean Society in London in 1897. It's interesting new police station made headlines because it utilized a (and depressing) to realize that her paper had to be novel barless window device, the "detention window", read by a male assistant from the intended to make the structure look more like an Royal Botanical Gardens, office building and less like a prison. For many years since women were not the building served as the Chicago's police permitted in the headquarters and jail. It was demolished in 2003. Linnean Society at The final years of Argyle Robinson's life are this time. Because something of a mystery. It is not clear where he lived Beatrix Potter after 1938, when he stopped being listed in the encountered so much Hinsdale telephone directory. The final public record prejudice in the of Argyle E. Robinson dates from 1945 and reports his scientific burial in, surprisingly, Salt Lake City, Utah. According community, she to the obituary, he died in the home of his daughter. curtailed her Argyle's second wife, Maude Robinson, lived until scientific research and 1959. She is buried in Illinois, at Oak Hill Cemetery turned to writing, becoming in Blue Island. The graves of other family members the author that we know his parents, Colin and Ann Eggleston Robinson, and her as today. That was a his brother, W. C. Robinson (and W.c.'s wife and loss to science but a gain children)-are in Chicago, at Oak Woods Cemetery. W for literature, and especially for all those of Editedfrom a previously published article in theJuly 30, 2005 us who grew up loving issue ofthe Hyde Park Herald. her children's stories.
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2005 Cornell awards were granted to Bruce Sagan, Cornell and Despres owner and publisher of the Hyde Park Herald, the Greenwood Row House Association, the City of Award Nominations Chicago Department of Transportation, and the Montgomery Place Book Committee. The first Despres award was granted to Leon and Miriam due November 15 Despres for their work on behalf of Chicago's Members of the Hyde Park Historical Society are architecrural heritage, including the preservation of invited to submit nominations for the 2005 Paul Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House. Cornell Awards and for the Leon and Miriam Despres Anyone is eligible for the award except current Awards, which will be presented in early 2006. The HPHS Board members. Please send names and Cornell Awards, named after Hyde Park's founder, addresses of nominees for Cornell Awards to Fran recognize individuals and organizations whose work Vandervoort, 5471 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL 60615, exemplify the values and objectives of the Society: Tel: (773) 752-8374, or bye-mail: recording Hyde Park's history, preserving Hyde Park [email protected]. Send Despres Award artifacts and documents, promoting public interest in nominations to Jack Spicer, 5536 S. Kimbark Ave., Hyde Park history, and education. ' Chicago, IL 60637, Tel: (773) 324-5476, or e-mail: Despres Awards are given for preserving the built [email protected]. Please include a few brief environment, including renovation and reconstruction sentences describing why your think your candidate of homes, historical buildings, and other archi tectural qualifies for an award. structures. Nominations will close November 15,2005. Found: Some Local Lichens On October 29, 2005, about 35 Hyde Park nature lovers spent much of a perfect afternoon learning about some of the most cryptic of all organisms lichens. Lichenologist Richard (Rich) D. Hyerczyk, Manager of Natural History Education at Morton Arboretum and naturalist with the Joliet Park District, Hyerczyk demonstrates a model entertained his of a lichen . audIence at the Members of the groups examine a lichen at Promontory Point HPHS headquarters with slides, stories, and acrual samples of these crusty, flaky, and often colorful Point to see lichens adding color and texture to rocks, organisms. trees, and concrete. People departed with a new After the talk, the group headed for Promontory appreciation of these tiny, but important organisms.
described as graduating from St. Xavier University in Correction... Joliet. St. Xavier University is actually in Chicago. He In the article, "Lichens on the Rocks .. ." (Summer, works in Joliet as a naturalist with the Joliet Park 2005), lichenologist Richard (Rich) D. Hyerczyk is District, and at Morton Arboretum.
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another on Cable Cars and Lunchrooms (vol 21 #3 and Capturing Hyde Park 4) and several others as well. The list goes on ... History Volume 17 (# 2 and 3) featured a wonderfully detailed and illustrated history, The Hyde Park By Theresa McDermott, Editor Emeritus Kenwood Urban Renewal Story by Oswalda Badal (illustrations by Michael McDermott); Jay Mulberry's Twenty-six years ago, January 1979, Volume 1 article Bob Picken: Hyde Park's Candy Man (vol. 25 N umber 1 of the Hyde Park Historical Society #1), John Allen on the IC; Alta Blakely on Steve's Newsletter began publication with Muriel Beadle, Lunch; Betty Borst, Carol Bradford, John Allen, John Editor; Corinne Seither, Typist; and Michael Conzen, McDermott Jr., Edgar Rice Burroughs (from his Graphics. Twenty-six years and 26 volumes later, the school yearbook), Ed Campbell, Yaffa/Claire Draznin, Newsletter has covered many of the Society's activities Dev Bowley, Sam Hair. .. as well as many historical articles related to Hyde Park I believe most, if not all newsletter copy is available written and researched and sometimes discovered by on our HPHS website so feel free to indulge yourself in members and friends of the Society. some delightful Hyde Park history. And be sure to Muriel Beadle continued as editor through 1981 and help our new editor, Fran Vandervoort, by offering Maggie Bevacqua served from 1982 until 1985, when your articles of interest, your history-stories and ideas a committee of four-Anita Anderson, Rita Dukette, to her. The hardest part of editing is getting enonij71 Penny Johnson and I agreed to take on the job. At appropriate material in/at the appropriate time. . various times for various reasons, others joined in the editing-Betty Borst, Margo Criscuola, and Mary Lewis-until 1993 when the job became mine. Don't miss it! ______~ Over the years, Society members and friends have graciously let us publish their research, their own histories, their related community activities, their findings in old publications and yearbooks, etc. In 1994, the Newsletter took on a new and more Washinglon professional look as Nickie Sage, our Graphic Artist, did the layour and design of new issues. In 1996, at the suggestion of HPHS Board member, historian and aurhor Jim Stronks, we ceased calling ourselves a Park newsletter and became Hyde Park History. With a new name and new design and a good supply of member/aurhors as well as some professional and lay associates, we have published a hisrory of Hyde Park hhibil and related places. Some of our contributors were more than generous and more than able: Jim Stronks' Don't miss our current exhibit on historic recounting of All the Dead Young Men: Camp Washington Park! Included are forty-three Douglas and Oak Woods Cemetery, (vol. 16 #1) and unusual vintage views and six maps of the park his Chicago Day at the Columbian Exposition (vol. 16 dating from its origins in 1870 until 1920. All #3) "when some 761,942 souls would descend upon are drawn from the archives of the Hyde Park the bricks of Hyde Park/Woodlawn to squeeze Historical Society, the Chicago Park District, through the turnstiles." His articles on The Regenstein Library, and private collections. Collapsible Coliseum and the Cross of Gold, (vol.18 See the park's remarkable early horticultural #3) and on Alonzo Stagg (vol. 18 #4) were a sculptures and landscapes, "natural" lawn wonderful concoction of history and humor. maintenance, boating on the lagoon, and other Several issues feature the column Notes from the scenes, some familiar but most gone. Archives by Steve Treffman, HPHS board member All will be on display at our headquarters. and Archivist. A valued contributor over the years, Steve has also written some major articles such as one THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2005 on Hyde Park/Kenwood Clubs (vol. 16 #2) and on Saturdays & Sundays 2-4pm Jean Block and her book: An Enduring Gift: Hyde Park Houses Twenty Years Later (vol. 20 #4) and
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granddaughter of Paul Maull wrote for more Basketball, a Dentist, information about the area where he grew up and attended high school. The family resided in one of the and a Ferris Wheel: group of brownstones located 3979-3983 S. Drexel. Two of the five in the row are still standing. She sent a Queries from the box of memorabilia about her family, which has been deposited in our archive.
Outside World • Inquiry about Loraine Richardson Green, first African-American woman to receive a master's degree By Carol Brad/ort, HPHS President in Sociology from the University of Chicago (in 1919), and her husband, Wendell Green, the first African Here are some of the interesting inquiries we've American circuit court judge in Chicago. The couple received this year. lived in Hyde Park.
• Inquiry from Hannah Hayes, granddaughter ofJohn • Request for confirmation--or refutation-of a Hayes, whose family operated the Hayes Hotel in family tradition that a couple named Von Siebenthal Woodlawn. The hotel opened in the early 1890s. fell to their death from a gondola of the Ferris wheel during the Columbian Exposition, and their children • Inquiry from Andy Schcolnik, owner/developer of the were subsequently adopted by the family who were recently reopened Grand Ballroom at Cottage Grove & the proprietors of the Yellow Cab Company. 64th Street, asking for photographs which might aid in the restoration effort, both interior and exterior. • Inquiry from Canada about William and Ann Powis who lived in Hyde Park Township in early 20th century. • A woman who bought a box of stuff at a flea market in Delaware wrote about a man named Louis Trinkaus, • Woman in Carol Stream, II asked about her whose Hyde Park high school reports from 1924-1927 grandfather, Al Gatti, who was the head chef at the were in the box. He apparently was an artist and Windermere Hotel in the early 1960s. sculptor who later lived in Wilmington, DE. • An inquiry about a dentist named Frank Martin • Staff member of HistoryMakers requested correct Richardson, who may have lived on Woodlawn Avenue spellings of the names of members of the Hyde Park and had an office at 25 East Washington Street. High School basketball team of 1956, for a transcript of a videotape where the names of team members are mentioned. .~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::f-. :~~;:~:.':.~111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111;t:~;~~~ • A man from Flowery Branch, GA inquired about a •...... • fire station in the late 1880s called Oakland Hose 1. AL KLINGER ON •...m~::.. TOUR .....:~~~..~ • Inquiry from Florida about a 1900 graduate of the •...... • Chicago School of Dentistry who was thought to have i~~~ : : How many of you saw the article in the : ::~ g •...... • an office on Woodlawn Avenue. i~~: : November 2, 2005, edition of the Hyde Park::~~i i~~:: Herald about HPHS member AI Klinger's:gg • Woman in Fogelsville, PA asking about her father, ~~ -- Bertram B. Moss, who was an alderman in Hyde Park g~~ : : bicycle tour of Europe? In the summer of 2004,::~g in the 1940s. g~: : following the death of his wife Kitty, AI set out::~~i •...... • :::::. to tour Great Britain. The article describes his::::: • Man who used to look for military relics at a turn of ~_. -R the century dump site at Jefferson Barracks Missouri m:: British tour, but he has many more stories to:~~~i •...... • found a copper token inscribed "Midway Park 25". He ::::: tell. We can look forward to reading them in::::: •...... • wonders if it comes from Hyde Park, as he found it i~~ :: : future issues of Hyde Park History.::~g with other items marked "World's Fair." •...... •...... • ~::;~;~i:: !!:!:: iii iii iii i! iii iii i!! i: ii: i:::::::::::::::: i:: i:::i: i:{~3::~: • From Ellensburg, WA, Kathy Maull Wing, -.:::::;;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;;;:::;::; :;:::::::~ ..
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This Newsletter is published by the JlgJe Park lIisloriml Sodelg Hyde Park Historical Society, a not-for COLLECTING AND PRESERVING HYDE PARK'S HISTORY profit organization founded in 1975 to
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-_Student $15 __Sponsor $50 and Sundays from 2 until 4pm. __Member $25 __ Benefactor $100 Web site: hydeparkhistory.org Name ______Telephone: HY3-1893 President: Carol Bradford Address ______---,__ Editor: Frances S. Vandervoort Contributing Editor: Stephen Treffman Zip Designer: Nickie Sage