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 ~ 1: 011 2 00 5 4 ~~ "'. 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.