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In a small taqueria at 2829 N. Milwaukee is a vestige of the cinematic era prior to the grand movie palaces of the 1920s. A small inscription of “The Enterprise” on the limestone facade is a clue to this overlooked landmark.
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A few years ago on our sister publication Goodnight Raleigh, I started a weekly column (that continues today) featuring vintage postcards, history, and transcribed conversations written in decades past.
I’m excited to announce the addition of this column to Chicago Patterns, which will follow in the footsteps of our sister publication. Most Fridays we’ll feature a postcard with a handwritten letter and history related to the message or subject of the card. Our introductory article in this new column features the Humboldt Park Receptory.
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Tucked away on a dense block of apartment buildings on 69th Street between Paxton and Crandon, the Kenna Apartment building at 2214 E. 69th Street doesn’t immediately call attention to itself. Like many neighboring buildings, it’s three stories tall, made of brick, with a hexagonal bay of windows projecting towards the sidewalk.
But look a little closer and you’ll begin to see that it’s special: the front door is flanked by elaborate stone carvings of a man, woman, and child; the wooden window frames bear intricate carved designs; and the brick corners of the protruding bay are delicately interlocking. Although subtle, these design details hint at the building’s distinguished architectural pedigree. It is the work of Barry Byrne, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright and one of the country’s most significant Prairie Style architects. The Kenna Apartment building is one of South Shore’s many gems, and quietly tells a story of how this neighborhood has nurtured some of Chicago’s best architecture.
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At State and 36th on the South Side is an Art Deco structure that stands as a beautiful icon of Bronzeville and Chicago’s Black Metropolis. Now a public library and reading room, it was built by entrepreneur Anthony Overton to house the Chicago Bee.
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