2006: THE YEAR IN REVIEW PAGE 11 the VOICE THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF PRESERVATION CHICAGO VOLUME No 1 - ISSUE No2 WINTER 2006-07 PILGRIM BAPTIST CHURCH, 1890 -2006 Adler and Sullivan, Architects CITIZENSTHREE ADVOCATING SULLIVANS...UP FOR THE PRESERVATION OF CHICAGO’S IN ARCHITECTURE SMOKE VOICEthe PRESERVATION CHICAGO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 1016 North Oakley Boulevard WINTER 2006-7 Chicago, IL 60622 Board of Directors When Preservation and Politics Collide Jonathan Fine President Politics and preservation have always been inextricably connected, but never Michael Moran Vice President more so than in this 2006-2007 election season. Incumbent aldermen are Marcia Matavulj Treasurer sensing the anger of their disgruntled constituencies who have, until now, remained politically disengaged and relatively docile. Kim Mickelson Secretary However, unlike the infamous blizzard of 1979, which galvanized voters Bill Neuendorf Exec. Comm. and thrust Jane Byrne into the mayor’s office, today’s reform movement is Craig Norris Exec. Comm. initiated, not by a single calamitous event, but rather by a slow and agonizing death by a thousand cuts. Sharon Russell Exec. Comm. For more than ten years, Chicago’s neighborhoods have been at the mercy Kimberlee Smith Exec. Comm. of a development boom not seen since the turn of the last century. Chicago’s Laura Stigler-Marier Exec. Comm. overly permissive zoning ordinance, coupled with the immoral relationship between zoning changes and campaign contributions, has had a debilitating Jeremi Bryant Board effect on some neighborhoods where block after block of historic architecture Bob Clarke Board has been destroyed in the name of “progress.” Sandy Gartler Board In addition, no building type has been spared: workman’s cottages in Bucktown and East Village, American four-squares in Edgewater and Old Eugene Kaminski Board Irving, carpenter gothic frame two-flats in Roscoe Village, brick bungalows Vana Kikos Board in Portage Park, graystones in Lakeview, Italianates in Norwood Park, and Queen Anne town homes in Lincoln Park. These neighborhoods have also Nina Newhouser Board lost many anchor buildings on their commercial streets, including movie Stacey Pfingsten Board theaters, roller rinks, commercial flats, terra cotta storefronts, hotels, and numerous historic churches. Scott Rappe Board Adding insult to injury, what has replaced these wonderful buildings is Andy Schcolnik Board perhaps some of the ugliest and most shoddily built architecture ever to grace Jack Spicer Board a city street. As a result, some of Chicago’s most charming communities have lost much of their scale and character, leaving a voting populace angrier than Brooke Williams Board ever at their elected officials, whom they hold accountable. The February aldermanic elections thus may prove to be a watershed in Contact us: Chicago political history. A large group of well-funded, well-organized, www.preservationchicago.org and computer-savvy aldermanic candidates are actively challenging some of the longest serving aldermen in city council. Interestingly, the premiere ph: 773.489.0300 campaign issues in most of these races deal with over-development, planning, fax: 773.489.0874 and historic preservation. email: [email protected] Consequently, responsible urban planning and historic preservation can no EDITOR IN CHIEF: Jonathan Fine longer be characterized as simply the agenda of a small group of aesthetes. SENIOR EDITOR: Laura Stigler-Marier In fact, communities of all economic levels across the entire city are now GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Sandy Gartler organizing themselves and demanding it as their civil right. PHOTO CREDITS: Hopefully, the new city council seated in 2007 will begin to reflect these ideals Cover: Sandy Gartler in the form of both advocacy and legislation, but that cannot happen unless Page 3: Jonathan Fine we exercise our civic duty and vote. If you are not registered to vote, please Page 4: Richard Nickel Committee do so. And if you are registered, we urge you to turn out on February 27th Page 5: Richard Nickel Committee and and make your voice heard. Jonathan Fine Page 6: Jonathan Fine Page 7: Sandy Gartler and Jonathan Fine Page 8: Barbara Brady Page 9: Jonathan Fine Page 0: Bob Clarke © 007 PRESERVATION CHICAGO All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is strictly prohibited. Preservation Chicago is Jonathan Fine a not-for-profit organization registered as a 50c3. President, Preservation Chicago PRESERVATION CHICAGO www.preservationchicago.org Corner Detail 2942 N. Milwaukee Avenue THE ORBIT BUILDING: PRESERVATION-WISE, A SATISFYING COMPROMISE Sometimes we win. Sometimes we lose. And sometimes, building with a drive-thru bank, and another, which a compromise is the best solution for all – this last scenario would have built a residential structure on the site. The being the case that saved a predominant portion of The community’s outcry was loud and clear and Alderman Rey Orbit Building. Colon (35th) got the message: the community wanted the Orbit Building preserved. Built in 96 by Henry Newhouse, this flatiron grand dame was a dramatic anchor-feature at the prominent 4-corner Pressure from the grass roots groups of Logan Square diagonal intersection of Milwaukee and Central Park Preservation and Logan Square Walks, a pedestrian Avenues in Chicago. With its expansive bays and bright red advocacy group, resulted in the developer presenting brick highlighted in white terra cotta, the Classical Revival a solution that kept a small portion of the corner of the structure had stood proud, enjoying a long history in the original building, with much of the building on Milwaukee Avondale and Logan Square community. For decades, it and Central Park demolished for a drive-thru bank facility. housed the Cinderella Ballroom and the renowned Orbit Not good enough. A drive-thru on two commercial streets Room Restaurant, which played host to such dignitaries was still unacceptable. as the former President of Poland (990-995) and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient, Lech Walesa, and former United AN AGREEMENT, AT LAST States President George H. Bush. After several meetings and negotiations with the developer and his architect, Fitzgerald and Associates, and through THE COMMUNITY STANDS UP the efforts of Logan Square Preservation’s Vice President, Following the demise of the Orbit Room Restaurant in early Ward Miller, a compromise was finally reached: except 000, the building was sold. Plans to convert the building for the Southernmost window bay, the building’s entire to condos were quickly enacted, giving rise to a heated Milwaukee Avenue elevation and over half of the Central debate in the community. Work stopped immediately. But Park Avenue façade would be preserved, with various not before the building had been gutted to the brick walls additions removed and demolished for the required parking and all of the original storefronts were removed. Because of and drive-thru facility – a demand made by the bank client. these alterations, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Apartments were planned for the second floor. (IHPA) and the city would not consider the building for either Chicago Landmark status or National Register status, Even though a portion of the site and several additions had even though it is “Orange” rated by the CHRS (Chicago been demolished, the project is now viewed as a preservation Historical Resources Survey.) success. For without the interaction of concerned citizens and local neighborhood groups, the Orbit building would A second developer purchased the property and proposed now be gone without a trace of its storied past. several options, one which replaced the current flatiron – Ward Miller CITIZENS ADVOCATING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF CHICAGO’S ARCHITECTURE 3 VOICEthe UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR LOUIS... Louis Sullivan Pilgrim Baptist Church (originally K.A.M. Synagogue) 3301 S. Indiana Avenue Images courtesy of Richard Nickel Committee First, it was the Pilgrim Baptist Church, when on January precursor for the 0th century skyscraper, one of Chicago’s 6th of 006, a fire destroyed all but portions of the walls of most influential contributions to architecture worldwide. this awe-inspiring Adler-Sullivan landmark*. On October 5th – little more than 0 months later, yet another Adler- A CHICAGO HOT SPOT Sullivan landmark, the 119-year-old Wirt Dexter building, In the 950’s and ‘60’s, the street-level floor of the Dexter succumbed to fire. This time, not even vestiges of the walls was home to George Diamond’s Steakhouse. In its heyday, were left standing. And then, as if to fulfill the maxim the 600-seat eating establishment was a vortex of Chicago that bad things come in threes, on November 4th, the nightlife, where a flashy red carpet, red leather booths last surviving wood-frame structure Sullivan and Adler and kitsch velvet paintings played host to a Who’s Who designed, burst into flames. The George Harvey House, at parade of celebrities and politicians. When Diamond 110 years old, burned to the ground. passed away in 98, the building was inherited by current owner Lorraine Phillips. But by that time, the surrounding This is not at all how Louis H. Sullivan’s 50th birthday was neighborhood started to deteriorate, taking the Dexter and meant to be celebrated. Instead of a toast, we eulogize. Diamond’s upscale restaurant along with it. THE WIRT DEXTER: The building was designated a landmark in 996, and for TRAILBLAZING ARCHITECTURE several years, Phillips had tried without success to obtain To the average eye, one would not immediately recognize funding to rehab it. Vacated since February of ’06, Phillips the Wirt Dexter as a work of Sullivan. It did not bear all hired a scrap-metal salvage crew to cut apart an old boiler the earmarks typically associated with his designs – the in the basement. To do the job, it appears an acetylene- leafy ornamentation that adorns the northwest entrance oxygen torch was used – the very same type of torch that of the Carson Pirie Scott store, the almost spiritual-bound was the source of the fire that gutted the Pilgrim Baptist archways prevalent in the Auditorium Building.