Lost Legends #10: The Masonic Temple Building in The Loop
Lost Legends #9: Chicago’s Central Station in South Loop
Chicago’s Central Station, once a hub of vibrant activity, represents a significant chapter in American railway history. Constructed in 1893, the station was designed by esteemed architect Bradford L. Gilbert to accommodate the traffic demands of the World’s Columbian Exposition. Located near Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue, the station’s strategic position was instrumental for moving people and goods within the city and beyond. Notably, there was another dismantled passenger station known as Grand Central Station, which was highlighted in a previous Lost Legends article.
Lost Legends #8: The Lake Shore Drive ‘S’ Curve Bottleneck
As evident from our last installment of ‘Lost Legends’ showcasing the Prentice Women’s Hospital, once-celebrated designs may reveal impracticalities as functional demands evolve. While not “legendary” in a traditional sense, the story of the construction and later removal of Lake Shore Drive’s zig-zag ‘S’ curve conveys a similar notion of a city adapting to changing infrastructural needs.
Lost Legends #7: Dearborn Station’s Pitched Roof
Dearborn Station, also known as Polk Street Depot, is one of the remaining central stations in Chicago. This Printer’s Row passenger hub was once notably taller, featuring a distinctive steep pitched roof. In this seventh Lost Legends article, we will discuss the changes in the station over its 140-year history, including the fire that resulted in the loss of the additional structure.
Lost Legends #6: Original Prentice Women’s Hospital in Streeterville
The Prentice Women’s Hospital building was once an architecturally iconic structure standing at 333 E Superior Street in the Streeterville neighborhood. In this edition of the “Lost Legends” series, we explore the history of the original Prentice Women’s Hospital building and its cutting-edge care, the vision of its architect, the hospital’s relocation and subsequent demolition of the structure, as well as its present-day replacement.