| |
Preservation Onions Announced
The worst blunders, remuddlings
and demolitions in the Chicago area
The top five “preservation onions” of the year were announced July 19, 2007
by Landmarks Illinois at its monthly Preservation Snapshots lecture series at
the Cultural Center. This was the first such “onions” presentation by the
statewide advocacy group.
“Since 1991, we have recognized the top projects in Illinois through our annual
Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation
Awards,” said Landmarks Illinois' president David Bahlman.
“But we felt this year it would be important to remind citizens what a bad
preservation project looks like—in hopes they won’t be repeated.”
The Preservation “Onions” of the Year
Jewelers Row
Chicago (Cook County)
An 800-foot condo tower is being constructed behind the facades of several
late-19th century buildings, even though other buildings in the local landmark
district—which centers on Wabash Avenue in the Loop—are in the range of 100-250
feet in height.
Evanston Landmarks
Evanston
(Cook County)
In the past year, the City Council has approved the demolition of two
individually designated local landmarks and several contributing structures in a
local landmark district. Replacement structures will include new residences and
commercial development.
Barat College Chapel
Lake Forest (Lake County)
The City Council in April approved demolition plans for a 1925 building that
contains one of the most significant interior religious spaces on the North
Shore. The chapel building will be replaced by an underground parking garage for
a new residential development. Described by many as “the heart” of the Barat
College campus, the Sacred Heart Chapel was built as a wing to Barat’s “Old
Main” building, which falls within the boundaries of the Lake Forest National
Register District and the city’s East Lake Forest Historic District.
DuPage Theater
Lombard (DuPage County)
After a decade of back-and-forth negotiations, including a recent compromise
plan that would have retained its Spanish-style façade and marquee, the City
Council in March abruptly voted to demolish this 1928 theater building—one of
only two local structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The theater was one of Landmarks Illinois’
Ten Most Endangered Historic Places
in 2000. The DuPage Theatre was one of the early examples of a unique theater
architectural style known as atmospheric. This refers to the treatment of the
theater itself, including midnight blue barrel vault ceiling embedded with small
white lights meant to simulate "twinkling stars," with a moon, wispy clouds and
the northern lights in motion on the ceiling.
Durant-Clow House
Naperville (DuPage County)
One of this sprawling suburb’s oldest buildings—a protected local landmark—was
demolished this spring for a new strip retail center. The limestones from the
c.1840 farmhouse have been relocated to a site outside the city limits where
they are scheduled to be used as a stone veneer on a replica house.
| |
|
|
| |
 At the end of the
presentation, a special “stinkiest onion of the bunch” award was given
for the demolition of the Du Page Theater, based on a vote from the 100-member
audience. The awards program honors the wild onions that once predominated in the Chicago
area. When in full season, these onions were said to have a foul smell. The
Native American term for the area, Checagou, meant “land of the wild
onion.”
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jewelers Row facades
1218 Elm, Evanston
1218 Elm after demolition
Barat Collage Chapel, Lake Forest
DuPage Theater, Lombard demolition
Clow House, Naperville
Clow House stones
|
|
