Holden Block

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The Holden Block seen in 2014

The Holden Block is a commercial building in the Near West Side of Chicago.[1] Located at 1027 W. Madison Street, it was constructed in 1872[1] in the rush of reconstruction after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 by Charles C. P. Holden, who was a public servant prominent in the area.[2] It is one of the few remaining examples of Italianate-designed commercial blocks in Chicago,[1] and is the best preserved of such blocks in the Near West Side.[3]

History[]

Reconstruction was rapid in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871; within six weeks 318 buildings had been built in the affected area.[4] The initial buildings were sparsely ornamented, being built in haste at the expense of style.[4] More stylized buildings came in the spring of 1872; of 50 buildings constructed in the early 1870s that survived to be charted by the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, 43 were designed with Italianate architecture.[5] Although the Near West Side was largely spared from the fire, development occurred in the fire's aftermath in the area as well as the Near Northwest Side.[6]

Commercial blocks were enormously popular during this time as they provided flexibility in use.[7] The era of their dominance was short-lived, however, as skyscrapers began to replace them about 20 years following their construction, and most blocks were demolished during the 20th century to make way for new development.[6]

Description[]

The Holden Block was designed by Stephen Vaughan Shipman.[1] It occupies the entirety of its 72-by-100-foot (22 m × 30 m) lot.[2] Its facade is clad in Buena Vista stone, a type of stone quarried in Ohio that was popular in construction at the time.[1] The facade contains 24 windows surrounded by eight various designs;[1] the windows were originally double-hung but have since become single-hung.[2] An 1894 fire destroyed its western section and south and west walls; those were rebuilt under the plan of architect John M. Van Osdel while retaining the original facade.[4] It originally had a cornice, which was lost by 2011[8] but restored by 2014.

Landmark status[]

The neighborhood became depressed in the early 20th century and after World War II was known as "Skid row", hosting many hotels serving the disestablished.[9] It is unknown whether the Holden Block itself served as a hotel during this time, although it was vacant by the time of a fire in 1954.[9] Although many surrounding buildings were demolished starting in the 1970s to make way for redevelopment, the Holden Block survived and was designated a Chicago landmark in 2011.[10] In 2017 it was tied for the tenth-oldest landmarked building in Chicago.[11]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Landmark Report, p. 1
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Landmark Report, p. 2
  3. ^ Landmark Report, p. 22
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Landmark Report, p. 5
  5. ^ Landmark Report, pp. 5&7
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Landmark Report, p. 7
  7. ^ Landmark Report, p. 6
  8. ^ Landmark Report, p. 8
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Landmark Report, p. 21
  10. ^ Landmark Report, p. 24
  11. ^ Ali, Tanveer; Breen, Justin (January 27, 2017). "Chicago's Oldest Landmarked Buildings Might Surprise You". DNAInfo. Retrieved March 30, 2020.

Works cited[]

  • Holden Block (PDF) (Report). City of Chicago Commission on Chicago Landmarks. March 3, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2020.

Coordinates: 41°52′53.1″N 87°39′11.9″W / 41.881417°N 87.653306°W / 41.881417; -87.653306

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