1316 W. Huron

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[John Morris/Chicago Patterns]

Near the corner of Huron and Throop is a lovely red brick, flat-fronted Italianate two-flat built in 1879. Vaulted sidewalks tell the story of an area developed before streets were raised.

Situated in an area near downtown with a mixture of new construction and 19th century homes, it’s easy to imagine this 138 year old two-flat being the first house on this plot, but surprisingly it’s not.

Chicago’s street numbers changed in 1909, and the old address for 1316 W. Huron is 156 Huron. An advertisement in the 1867 Chicago Daily Tribune (above) lists the address in a boarding house ad.

The Cook County Assessor lists the build date as 1889, but a permit record in the September 7, 1879 Chicago Tribune indicates a build 10 years prior. An 1870s build date and being (at least) a secondary occupant of the parcel hints at a Great Fire aftermath, but it wasn’t directly related. The parcel is roughly 10 blocks west of the river, which largely prevented the advance of the fire further west.

[John Morris/Chicago Patterns]

Though the flat-fronted Italianate with decorative window hoods isn’t a rarity in the city, they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Many of the 1870s-era homes and stores of this style lost their decorative cornice, but this one remains the original, showing a matching style to the hoods.

[John Morris/Chicago Patterns]

For a home nearly 140 years old, much of the original exterior is in decent shape. The sawtooth and incised floral window hoods (above) still appear sharp, despite generations of weather, wind, and paint.


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