Dexter Building
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dexter Building was a landmark building located at 630 South Wabash Avenue, in the South Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. The building was designed by the firm of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, and built in 1887[1]. Prior to its destruction in 2006 it was one of the earliest surviving Louis Sullivan buildings, and was considered a precursor of the nearby Auditorium Building. It was designated as a Chicago Landmark in 1996 and was described by the Landmarks Division of the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development as an "irreplaceable link in the chain of work of one of the nation's most important architectural partnerships."[1].
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[edit] History
The building was commissioned by Wirt Dexter, a Chicago attorney and real estate developer. Originally it was used as a factory and showroom for the R. Deimel & Brothers furniture manufacturing firm. From 1967 it was the home of the George Diamond Steak House, and the upper floors later housed the Sawyer Secretarial College.
[edit] Fire
On 24 October 2006 scrap dealers were cutting up a boiler in the basement for salvage[2] when their acetylene torches sparked a large fire that gutted the building[3]. At its peak, the fire—which started in the basement at around 3 pm—was a '5-alarm' fire, the Chicago Fire Department's highest level of alert, with over 250 firefighters attending. Following the fire the surviving shell of the fire was too unstable to save, and so was demolished.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Dexter Building. Chicago Landmarks (URL accessed 24 October 2006).
- ^ Woman's dream now lies in ruins. Chicago Tribune 26 October 2006
- ^ Fire burns at landmark in S. Loop. Chicago Tribune 24 October 2006.
[edit] External links
- Article about the fire by Lynn Becker
