Lake View Township

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Galloway House

Posted by Rav Ens Wood on March 24, 2013
Posted in: A Walking Tour of Old Ravenswood. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

4542 North Hermitage Avenue

The house was built for Edgar Galloway and his wife, Helen. They bought the land in 1874 from Thomas A Cosgrove, a member of the Ravenswood Land Company.
Edgar’s brother Albert bought the lot just north of this one in the same year. The Galloways, like other early residents, then began acquiring additional property in Ravenswood.

4542 N Hermitage from a 2008 photo. Credit: Cook County Assessor

4542 N Hermitage from a 2008 photo. Credit: Cook County Assessor


For example, between 1874 and 1880 they purchased or had financial connections to every lot on this side of Hermitage between Wilson and Sunnyside except the church property and the two end lots at Sunnyside.
Their holdings made the Galloway brothers particularly interested in community improvement projects. Edgar, who was a pluumber, was active in the movement ot bring sewers to Ravenswood. In 1884 the movement gained momentum and engineers were consulted.
They recommended running a line down Montrose to the Chicago River to take advantage of the natural drainage this route offered. But the river was in Jefferson Township, and Jefferson objected to a sewer line at Montrose and the river.
For its part, Lake View, which ended at Western Avenue, would not allow Jefferson to run a water main through Lake View to Lake Michigan.
Ravenswood was forced to use an alternate route: it built a sewer main down Damen from Lawrence to Belmont, then over to Western and the river, which at that point was part of Lake View.
Like many large projects, construction of the sewers fell behind schedule. Collection of the homeowners’ special assessment, however, continued on schedule. In 1888 this led several homeowners on Commercial Avenue to petition Lake View City Council to suspend collection of their assessments. The petition was denied. The sewer was eventually built.

SOURCES

Office of Deeds early maps; 1880 Census.

WALKING DIRECTIONS TO NEXT LOCATION

Continue the tour to 4541 North Hermitage Avenue.

  1. The next building is across the street, about 20′ from you.
  2. Click the ‘Continue the Tour’ button below when you’ve reached your destination.

MAP OF DIRECTIONS TO NEXT LOCATION


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Andrews House

Posted by Rav Ens Wood on March 21, 2013
Posted in: A Walking Tour of Old Ravenswood. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

4517 North Hermitage Avenue

Several features of this house are typical of houses of the 1870’s: note the deeply recessed, coffered front door and curved first-floor windows. First floor openings are all elongated. Roofline slopes gently. Many of its original features remain despite several siding efforts, including asphalt meant to simulate brick. Few such old houses survive on the North Side.

FEATURES (INCLUDING OWNERSHIP)

The James Andrews family was one of the earliest to settle in Ravenswood. Mr. Andrews joined the Congregational Church one block south in September 1873 and was one of the leaders in the effort to build a firehouse, later built at the corner of Ravenswood Avenue and Wilson, perhaps not coincidentally close to the homes of Andrews and the Galloway brothers, who were particularly active in organizing it. The firehouse stood just east of the railroad tracks (which then ran at ground level), across East Ravenswood Avenue from the site of the Pickard Building. The firehouse and its equipment cost $1,200, of which $1,000 came from assessments on local property owners. The remaining $200 was raised from a dance and from the sale of ice cream in the summer months.

4517 N Hermitage. Credit: Google Street View

4517 N Hermitage. Credit: Google Street View


It was the only firehouse in Ravenswood, and, of course, was operated by volunteers. Fire was a particular concern in Ravenswood because of the many wooden buildings. Although at least as early as 1879 Lake View Township restricted construction of wooden buildings in the southern part of the township, there were no restrictions in Ravenswood.
The City of Lake View later bought the firehouse for $800. Lake View offered to refund the money to the contributors, but, with their consent, it went instead toward a local public library.
Like his neighbors, the Galloways, Andrews purchased other property in Ravenswood. He also was president of the Ravenswood Loan & Building Association. Andrews’ primary business, however, was not real estate, but hardware. He was a long-time partner in the ventilator manufacturing firm of Andrews & Johnson.

SOURCES

CCL Survey; Recorder of Deeds Office, 1880 Census. No permit. Historical records.

WALKING DIRECTIONS TO NEXT LOCATION

Continue the tour to 4501 North Hermitage Avenue, the Ravenswood United Methodist Church.

  1. The next building is across the street, about 174’south from you.
  2. Click the ‘Continue the Tour’ button below when you’ve reached your destination.

MAP OF DIRECTIONS TO NEXT LOCATION


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Cole House

Posted by Rav Ens Wood on March 16, 2013
Posted in: A Walking Tour of Old Ravenswood. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

4307 North Hermitage


Look at the intact wooden ornament, including eccentric mixture of Italianate brackets and fleur-de-lis cutouts under the gable’s cornice. The bay on west facade, window surrounds, recessed double front doors with coffered jamb and window transom, and possibly original porch. Note the elongated windows. Possible addition adjacent to front porch, as well as rear porch addition. The main entrance to the house was off Cullom, because this house apparently predated the one immediately to its south, which is said to have been built on this house’s front lawn. The small house just east of the corner lot was the carriage house for 4307.

4307 N Hermitage. Credit: Google Street View

4307 N Hermitage. Credit: Google Street View

HISTORICAL FEATURES

The Cole family purchased the lots for 4307 and 4303 in 1872, just three years after Ravenswood was platted. The first owner was Martin Cole, a realtor; the second, John Cole, a surveyor and engineer; and the third, Arthur Cole, an architect, who designed several homes in Ravenswood. The construction date of the house is not clear, although, John Cole was living in Ravenswood as early as 1875, possibly in
this house. While in Ravenswood John Cole worked on the sewer system mentioned earlier. Also, in 1884 he helped redesign the Lake View Pumping Station at Montrose and Halsted, which first brought lake water to the Township in 1875. Prior to this time, and even after, shallow wells were the main source of water. Most house also had cisterns.
In later years John and Arthur Cole lived in Hyde Park, while Martin lived on the west Side. Presumably the houses were rented; for example, Robert McLean, the editor of the Inland Architect, lived in one of the houses from 1887 until 1890.

SOURCES

No Permit. Recorder of Deeds Office; 1880 Census. Historical records.

WALKING DIRECTIONS TO NEXT LOCATION

Continue the tour to 4600 North Hermitage Avenue, the Ravenswood Presbyterian Church.

  1. The next building is across the street, about 72′ from you.
  2. Click the ‘Continue the Tour’ button below when you’ve reached your destination.

MAP OF DIRECTIONS TO NEXT LOCATION


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The Sulzer Family

Posted by Ravenswood Historical Society Webmaster on October 27, 2012
Posted in: A Walking Tour of Old Ravenswood. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Sulzer Road

You’ve reached Montrose Ave. Did you know that Montrose Avenue is named for James G Montrose, the Marquis of Hamilton, a Scottish noble and Royalist leader in the reign of Charles I?

We have a better candidate for the name of this street: Sulzer Street.

Conrad Sulzer was a Swiss immigrant to the US. He was among the first Europeans to settle in this area. A truck farmer, his family remained active in the area well into the 20th Century.

Grace Sulzer established the Sulzer Family Foundation to ensure that civic, social and educational organizations continue to thrive and enrich the community founded by her grandfather.

And we think this should seal the deal. The street you are at the corner of? It was renamed to Montrose from Sulzer.

Ravenswood School (3)

The outside of Ravenswood School has remained relatively unchanged since a north and south wing were added to the building about 1912.

So much has changed since Conrad Sulzer pioneered this land. We’d like you to join us with a remembrance from an unknown early settler after the break.

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