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preschicago.bsky.social
@preschicago.bsky.social
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Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
ladytophamcatt.bsky.social
1/3 Described in 1941 as "the west side church that doesn't look like a church," this modernist design, built for a congregation on a budget during the Great Depression, still packs a punch.

Third Unitarian Church
Architect: Robert Paul Schweikher in 1936, with an addition by William B Fyfe in 1956
Color photo of a brick church taken at an angle. The church was designed in two parts, and though the addition to the left is excellent, it is obviously Not Quite The Same. The half to the right sits under a slight gable and is roughly rectilinear in form. Brick window grills sit on either side of a more traditional grill that used to be the entrance. To the left is the recessed addition, featuring angled slabs of brick arranged in a sawtooth pattern above a canopy with the name of the church across it in silver letters. A few pieces of white outdoor furniture are arranged underneath it, and a path winds its way from the entrance and out of the frame. Color detail of angled brick piers above the entrance to the 1956 addition. The words THIRD UNITARIAN CHURCH are arranged in front of them in silver. A cloudy blue sky is above. Color photo of a wall of Chicago common brick, most of it laid in common bond. However, there is also a section of hit-and-miss, which is used to create a brick window grill which allows light to flow into the church. Color photo taken from the middle aisle on the first floor of a church. Straight ahead is an expanse of multicolored stained glass rectangles directly behind a platform. On either side of this are walls of Chicago common brick on which hang tile murals of various "saints of liberalism," featuring the likes of everyone from Abraham Lincoln to Confucius to Martin Luther King, Jr. The murals were done by artist Andrene Kauffman.
January 12, 2026 at 3:56 AM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
dmercer.bsky.social
1353 (formerly 714) N. Leavitt, Chicago. Built in 1898 for Edward Preussner. The 1914 Sanborn map shows that it was a bakery at that time.
Two-story brick building with a facade of both rough and smooth stone. On the first floor, on each side, foliage and other designs are carved into the stone. The second floor has an angular oriel window with a hipped roof and a slight flare at the bottom. It is painted green. At the top of the building is a cornice embellished with two different sizes of dentils. The cornice is painted brick red. Above the oriel window and cutting into the cornice is a curved pediment, also painted brick red. The only unfortunate thing about this building is the replacement multipaned windows.
January 12, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
dmercer.bsky.social
2155 W. Pierce, Chicago. Built in 1913, R. C. Berlin, architect. This was Eleanor Club Six. news.wttw.com/2016/12/09/r...
Four-story dormitory building. The first floor facade is stone; all others are red brick. White terra cotta quoins decorated the corners of the building and the window have trapezoidal terra cotta lintels. There is a cornice trimmed with dentils and egg and dart decoration. Sanborn map from 1914. Eleanor Club Six is labeled as brick and concrete fireproof construction. Black and white photograph of the lounge of the club. Building permit dated May 9, 1913. Owner is W. A. Wieboldt, architect R. C. Berlin. The permit is for a four story dormitory to cost $100,000.
January 12, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
archijake.bsky.social
Danny’s getting replaced by 3 family sized units would be even more bittersweet if the closure hadn’t been so contested.

At least that mishegas will result in what I expect to be a set of new 3 bedroom, 4 bedroom, & 5 bedroom homes.
Demolition Of Danny's Tavern At 1951 West Dickens Will Allow Three New Units In Bucktown - Chicago YIMBY
A demolition permit was issued January 8 to tear down the former Danny's Tavern building and its detached garage at 1951 West Dickens Avenue in the Bucktown neighborhood.
chicagoyimby.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
dmercer.bsky.social
This is such a beauty. Frederick Gehrke House, 2146 W. Caton St., Chicago, Faber and Pagels, architects.
Two-story red brick mansion with a cross gable roof. The home is entered on the right side, passing under a brick arch with stone keystone and stone support columns. On the first floor on the right is an large arched window opening, echoing the arch and keystone at the entrance. The leaded glass arched window is spectacular, featuring purple, yellow, blue glass, clear textured glass, and red and green rondels. Above the window is a stone balcony sort of shaped like a sink, with a metal railing around it. A Christmas tree is sitting on it in this photo. Behind the tree are two vertical windows with arched glass panes at the top and heavy stone arches above them. I wish I had a better vocabulary to do this justice. Closeup of the leaded glass half-moon window, showing ribbons of clear textured glass, yellow shield-like pieces surrounding purple shields with a pattern inside that looks like the symbol for nuclear fission. There is also a blue ribbon and bow, a clear fanlike design in the center, and red and green rondels dotting the surface.
January 3, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
OPEN CALL FOR NOMINATIONS For Preservation Chicago's 2026 Chicago 7 Most Endangered List!

We need YOUR help identifying neglected or threatened buildings.

To be eligible, it must be:
1. Historic
2. In danger
3. In Chicago
4. Too special to lose!

📸Eric Allix Rogers
January 6, 2026 at 3:21 AM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
dmercer.bsky.social
I happened to walk by the Ukrainian Consulate at 10 E. Huron (formerly 295) recently. It looks like the building was built ca. 1883 by architects Frost & Cobb. The clipping is from an 1882 edition of Sanitary Engineer.
2 or 3-story red brick residence (it's hard to tell from my photo.) The foundation is pink rusticated stone and the windows have smooth stone lintels. The left side of the building is pushed out to the street; the right side is set back and has an entrance below street level and one that is accessed by going up a set of stairs. There is an oriel window on the second floor, left, which may not be original. Two small dormers are visible projecting from the mansard roof on the right side. Not visible in this photo is a dome that caps the three stories on the left side. List of building permits published in 1883 Sanitary Engineer including "295 Huron st, br dwel;cost $17,000; o, Gordon Moore; a, Cobb & Frost; b, Clark & Fuller"
January 6, 2026 at 1:43 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
mckiesdjlounge.bsky.social
Looking east on Jackson Park branch elevated over 63rd St. ca. '64, just east of the ICRR tracks. Tower Theater apt. block on left (theater portion had been demo'd by '57), Parkland Hotel at 63/Stony still standing (burned down '69). Again, every structure in this view no longer exists.
January 6, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Five Condos for Sale in Landmarked Buildings www.chicagomag.com/real-estate/...
Five Condos for Sale in Landmarked Buildings
Buildings from Keck & Keck and Mies van der Rohe currently have units on the market.
www.chicagomag.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:09 PM
OPEN CALL FOR NOMINATIONS For Preservation Chicago's 2026 Chicago 7 Most Endangered List!

We need YOUR help identifying neglected or threatened buildings.

To be eligible, it must be:
1. Historic
2. In danger
3. In Chicago
4. Too special to lose!

📸Eric Allix Rogers
January 6, 2026 at 3:21 AM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
chigeek.bsky.social
FYI 2219 N. Fremont will soon be gone. To be replaced by nothing. A rich man’s side yard.
My photo, taken December 20th, of a residential building 2219 N. Fremont. It has been gutted and will soon be torn down by the owner of the neighboring home so they can use the lot as their side yard. My photo, taken December 20th, of a residential building 2219 N. Fremont. It has been gutted and will soon be torn down by the owner of the neighboring home so they can use the lot as their side yard.
December 21, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
chigeek.bsky.social
In September someone who lives across the street told me about the potential demolition. It will be a side yard for the brand-new home next door. The irony is that 2219 was owned by Ray Capitanini (who died in April), a longtime supporter of Preservation Chicago. His parents started Italian Village.
My photo of 2219 N. Fremont in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, a highlight of the Sheffield Garden Walk and owned by well-known preservationist, will soon be torn down for a side yard for the brand-new home next door. My photo of the brand-new Savane property on North Fremont in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.
November 26, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
ladytophamcatt.bsky.social
1/3 Harry Weese's weird & wonderful Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist (1968)

Drawing: AIC/Harry Weese Associates
Vintage drawing detailing the exterior of the Seventeenth Church of Christ Scientist on yellow paper. Color photo of a large, round concrete building, taken on an angle from across the street. It looks like a giant got interrupted while in the process of cutting up a Coke bottle for a terrarium, and I will not be convinced otherwise.
December 21, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Gertrude Lempp Kerbis Memorial Monument Design Competition Call For Entries

A juried competition to honoring the life & legacy of Gertrude Lempp Kerbis, Chicago’s 1st lady of modernism.

Prize money will be awarded.

Intent to Submit: Due February 13,
2026

www.gertrudelemppkerbismemorial.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:09 PM
As Uptown Theatre marks 100 Years, its ties with Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community resurface windycitytimes.com/2025/11/14/a...
As Uptown Theatre marks 100 Years, its ties with Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community resurface - Windy City Times
A significant local landmark, the Uptown Theatre is a familiar sight to anyone who has wandered the lively intersection of Broadway and Lawrence Avenue. While the faded posters of silent films decorat...
windycitytimes.com
December 11, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
dmercer.bsky.social
3229 (left) and 3231 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, built in 1897 and 1894 respectively. The interiors of both are pretty good. www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/3... www.zillow.com/homedetails/...
Two 19th century homes built right next to each other. The one on the left is brick with a rusticated brown stone facade that includes a two-story tower on the left side. The home at right has smooth stone on the front, painted gray and an angular tower on the right side.
November 13, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
dmercer.bsky.social
1500 block of S. Spaulding, Chicago. I can't tell which parts are original.
Two-story (although part of the first story is below the sidewalk) brick and stone residence. It's a bit of a hodgepodge with brown brick visible across the top and down both sides and a rough stone section that projects out from the left side on both levels. There are brick corbels across the top. The stone section is arched above the top window and there are smaller stones making a sort of quilt pattern above and below the second floor window. Corrugated metal awnings are shading the window and the front door, which is at the right. Wooden steps painted brick red lead up to the entrance.
November 13, 2025 at 1:53 PM
gertrude lempp kerbis memorial monument design competition

what would you propose if you had the commission to design the gertrude lempp kerbis cremation grave marker at graceland cemetery?

Learn more at gertrudelemppkerbismemorial.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:47 PM
The secret of "Impossible to Inevitable"?

Add 428 stories +106 testimonies + 563 Newsletter Articles + 24,107 petition signatures.

Combine with a Candid Platinum and a Charity Navigator 4-Star rating, and a strong dose of Love Your City Fiercely!

preservationchicago.org/donate-on-gi...
November 24, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
OPEN CALL FOR NOMINATIONS For Preservation Chicago's 2026 Chicago 7 Most Endangered List!

We need YOUR help identifying neglected or threatened buildings.

To be eligible, it must be:
1. Historic
2. In danger
3. In Chicago
4. Too special to lose!

📸@ericallixrogers.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Tell the Chicago Park District About Your Favorite Park District Treasures!

Chicago’s parks are home to some of the most beautiful and historically significant art, architecture, and landscapes in the nation.

www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/centennial-p...
November 13, 2025 at 9:26 PM
OPEN CALL FOR NOMINATIONS For Preservation Chicago's 2026 Chicago 7 Most Endangered List!

We need YOUR help identifying neglected or threatened buildings.

To be eligible, it must be:
1. Historic
2. In danger
3. In Chicago
4. Too special to lose!

📸@ericallixrogers.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
dmercer.bsky.social
"The Sunday Tribune" ghost sign on 2603 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. Both buildings are ca. 1895.
Faded ghost sign on the brick side wall of a three-story building. The sign says "The Sunday Tribune." The building is faced with cream-colored brick and has a two-story bay window with cornice, brackets, and gingerbread decoration. The building next to it on the right is also 3-story, faced with tan brick. It has a white cornice with brackets, decorated with a garland motif.
November 2, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
tudoraf.bsky.social
I biked around Budlong Woods and Albany Park, stopping almost constantly to admire.
Color photo of a wide sidewalk leading to steps up to a sprawling classic Chicago Park District fieldhouse. Trees overhanging walk have leaves in autumnal shades of yellow and orange, many of which have fallen onto the ground. Color photo of the top floor, cornice and parapet of a red brick building. Under the cornice, a repeating pattern: a Z in gray brick, then a square panel featuring an unadorned circle, then a backward Z (or stylized S) again in gray brick. Color photo of a castle-looking 2-flat in red brick, with prominent polygonal bay, recessed entrance on left. Four buttresses around bay lead to tall columns (twisty but frankly could be twistier) on second floor. Little mansard roof between merlons on parapet. Basement window has its own arch. Color photo of a glorious Neoclassical mixed-use corner building clad in cream terra cotta. Window spandrels and lunettes feature green terra cotta in elaborate patterns. Curved section at the corner. Balustrade runs along the top of the whole. Newer sign at corner business reads CHICA'S.
November 2, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Reposted by preschicago.bsky.social
ladytophamcatt.bsky.social
Peoples Gas Light & Coke Building detail

The landmark report quotes some early 20th century Chicagoan who saw Notre Dame de Paris & reportedly said "this is well & good, but give me Peoples Gas any day." Because, yes, Chicagoans are & have always been Like That.

Architect: DH Burnham & Co, 1911
Color close up of ornamentation atop the Peoples Gas Light and Coke Building, taken from across the street on the 22nd floor outdoor terrace of the Cliff Dwellers Club. Under a line of acanthus leaf finials is centered the head of lion caught mid-yawn and set into an elaborate scroll 'n' swag cartouche. The cartouche is just part of a larger frieze of more crisscrossing swags and other Beaux Art BS.
November 3, 2025 at 12:23 AM