Monthly Archives: May 2010

Another Stade Church, but not just another Stade church

Posted on May 27, 2010 by

Midcentury architect Charles Stade didn’t often break from his standard A-frame mold, but he certainly could do so when the budget and program called for it. This was certainly the case with St. John’s Lutheran Church (W. Pratt, just east … Continue reading →

Posted in Charles E Stade, Midcentury churches | 1 Comment

Charles E. Stade, Architect

Posted on May 24, 2010 by

He’s most famous for his magnificent chapel at Valpairaso University, south of Chicago. But Park Ridge architect Charles Stade designed dozens (reportedly hundreds) of churches, across Chicagoland and across America, from the early 1950s until his retirement in 1981. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Charles E Stade, Midcentury churches | 14 Comments

Double Deco

Posted on May 20, 2010 by

Pure coincidence let me find out about the fantastic Art Deco-facaded building at 6420-6424 N. Western Avenue: the Rogers Park Historical Society was headquartered there in the 1990s, and thus mention the building in their online history. It was designed … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Deco | 4 Comments

Sullivanesque ornament

Posted on May 17, 2010 by

Louis Sullivan was a titanic force in American architecture, influencing an entire generation of designers directly and indirectly. Among his many accomplishments was an ornamental style so unique and distinctive that it spawned an entire genre of imitative mass-produced catalog … Continue reading →

Posted in architectural ornament | 2 Comments

A Lotta Terra Cotta

Posted on May 13, 2010 by

It was a random comment by a friend that made me realize concretely something that I was already dimly aware of: Andersonville is just loaded with great terra cotta. It is terra cottalectible. Terra cottalicious. It’s terrificotta. It’s terra cottacular. … Continue reading →

Posted in architectural ornament, Commercial strips | 3 Comments

Egypt comes to Chicago

Posted on May 10, 2010 by

Pure Egyptian Revival was briefly all the rage in the early 1920s in the wake of various archeological expeditions, and any American city worth its architectural salt has a few examples scattered about. In Chicago, we have two outstanding examples … Continue reading →

Posted in architectural ornament | 2 Comments

Gotta face the face

Posted on May 6, 2010 by

A mini-theme: three buildings with human faces as a prominent decorative element. The first is on Clark Street in Andersonville: This is 5006 N. Clark, originally the Fred Heyden branch of the Chicago Motor Car Company circa 1916; today the … Continue reading →

Posted in architectural ornament | 4 Comments

Storefront losses

Posted on May 3, 2010 by

It’s not hard to walk the commercial streets of Chicago and find recently vacant storefronts, their former occupants victims of the Great Recession. The economy of the last few years has claimed several local and personal favorites. The little watch … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial strips | 6 Comments