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Funky "modern" facade (50's-60's) on old building
Posted by:
captain54
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Date: August 12, 2011 03:29PM
You don't see too many of these around anymore, but I've always been amazed at the "modern" facades (50's-60's ?) slapped on early 20th century buildings. This building @ 160 N Franklin has a construction date of 1906..bizarre
160 N Franklin, Chicago...1950's - 60' facade on old building by captain54_01, on Flickr
160 N Franklin, Chicago...1950's - 60' facade on old building by captain54_01, on Flickr
Re: Funky "modern" facade (50's-60's) on old building
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
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Date: August 12, 2011 03:56PM
Nice find. I suppose that's one way of modernizing the building.
There's a strange one on Logan Blvd. just northeast of Western Avenue, which I think is a storage facility now...it actually had the original facade still intact under the newer one (which is itself probably 50 years old now). And just east of the southeast corner of Broadway & Devon/Sheridan, there was a photography studio that had a similar mid-century facelift - I think it was recently demolished, though.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2011 04:02PM by WayOutWardell.
There's a strange one on Logan Blvd. just northeast of Western Avenue, which I think is a storage facility now...it actually had the original facade still intact under the newer one (which is itself probably 50 years old now). And just east of the southeast corner of Broadway & Devon/Sheridan, there was a photography studio that had a similar mid-century facelift - I think it was recently demolished, though.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2011 04:02PM by WayOutWardell.
Re: Funky "modern" facade (50's-60's) on old building
Posted by:
PKDickman
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Date: August 12, 2011 04:21PM
WayOutWardell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There's a strange one on Logan Blvd. just
> northeast of Western Avenue, which I think is a
> storage facility now...it actually had the
> original facade still intact under the newer one
> (which is itself probably 50 years old now).
You mean The Chicago Printed String Company building?
I drove by it for years an never realized it was anything special. It had some wacky 1960's perforated sheetmetal panels covering the exterior.
When they peeled it off, it was beautiful deco building.
-------------------------------------------------------
> There's a strange one on Logan Blvd. just
> northeast of Western Avenue, which I think is a
> storage facility now...it actually had the
> original facade still intact under the newer one
> (which is itself probably 50 years old now).
You mean The Chicago Printed String Company building?
I drove by it for years an never realized it was anything special. It had some wacky 1960's perforated sheetmetal panels covering the exterior.
When they peeled it off, it was beautiful deco building.
Re: Funky "modern" facade (50's-60's) on old building
Posted by:
captain54
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: August 12, 2011 05:10PM
the building directly north of the 160 Franklin building (162 N Franklin) has the same exact marble facade on the ground floor as the 160 building, so I'm thinking it's all one unit. And probably both erected in 1906. The 162 building escaped the goofy facade on its upper floors, so my guess is what you see on the upper floors of the 162 building is what's the original facade on the 160 building
I'd have loved to have seen what was under the marble facade of both the 160 and 162 buildings
I'd have loved to have seen what was under the marble facade of both the 160 and 162 buildings
Re: Funky "modern" facade (50's-60's) on old building
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: August 12, 2011 09:22PM
PKDickman Wrote:
>
> You mean The Chicago Printed String Company
> building?
>
> I drove by it for years an never realized it was
> anything special. It had some wacky 1960's
> perforated sheetmetal panels covering the
> exterior.
> When they peeled it off, it was beautiful deco
> building.
The building immediately next door had/has the same panels covering it as well - as though the panels were just mounted on beams in front of the original facade. Google Street View shows the panels being solid now , but I seem to remember that you could see through them and there was some terra cotta underneath.
Covered-up facade
There are a couple of others that come to mind - southwest corner of North & Elston, which had yellow corrugated panels recently removed exposing a ghost sign for Apex Fuel Oils, and a pair of buildings on Michigan south of Cermak that had green and blue panels (don't know if they're still intact). In both cases, the newer facade seems to have just been wrapped over the old one, definitely not with the permanence of the building at 160 Franklin. Cap'n, any idea of the building's original use?
>
> You mean The Chicago Printed String Company
> building?
>
> I drove by it for years an never realized it was
> anything special. It had some wacky 1960's
> perforated sheetmetal panels covering the
> exterior.
> When they peeled it off, it was beautiful deco
> building.
The building immediately next door had/has the same panels covering it as well - as though the panels were just mounted on beams in front of the original facade. Google Street View shows the panels being solid now , but I seem to remember that you could see through them and there was some terra cotta underneath.
Covered-up facade
There are a couple of others that come to mind - southwest corner of North & Elston, which had yellow corrugated panels recently removed exposing a ghost sign for Apex Fuel Oils, and a pair of buildings on Michigan south of Cermak that had green and blue panels (don't know if they're still intact). In both cases, the newer facade seems to have just been wrapped over the old one, definitely not with the permanence of the building at 160 Franklin. Cap'n, any idea of the building's original use?
Re: Funky "modern" facade (50's-60's) on old building
Posted by:
captain54
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: August 12, 2011 10:34PM
Polk Directory 1928-1929
158-160 Randolph - Greek American Sponge Co
161 Randolph - Lilly Ely mfg chemists
162 Randolph - Lock Alarm co, Candle co, and auto parts
I vaguely remember the 160 Randolph building in the 80's being all office supply
My 1929 Central Chicago business directory hardly has any listings for buildings in that area expect for the Mercantile Exchange @ 120 N Franklin.
Interesting side note..at one time the entire area around what is now Willis (Sears Tower) north to Lake Street was the Garment District...my father rented space in a building in the 70's west of Franklin on Randolph and there were tons of cabinets filled with old thread, yarn and fabric collections....
158-160 Randolph - Greek American Sponge Co
161 Randolph - Lilly Ely mfg chemists
162 Randolph - Lock Alarm co, Candle co, and auto parts
I vaguely remember the 160 Randolph building in the 80's being all office supply
My 1929 Central Chicago business directory hardly has any listings for buildings in that area expect for the Mercantile Exchange @ 120 N Franklin.
Interesting side note..at one time the entire area around what is now Willis (Sears Tower) north to Lake Street was the Garment District...my father rented space in a building in the 70's west of Franklin on Randolph and there were tons of cabinets filled with old thread, yarn and fabric collections....
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