Post by eric j. nordstrom

latest detailed images of adler and sullivan’s five-story s.a. maxwell (jewelers’) loft building (1881) taken again from swing stage or platform. after meticulously documenting the six central bay arched panels bedecked with lotus blooms surrounded by lobed spirals, along with the flanking sets of cornice panels identified as depicting the stages of growth (i.e., root structure, stem and blossom), i was relieved that the haphazard attempt to sandblast the facade decades prior didn't do nearly as much damage as i suspected, despite large deposits of old and crazed paint left behind. notes: the building facade's berlin sandstone ornament was carved by james legge, who arrived in chicago (along with new york architect p.b. wight) shortly after the great chicago fire of 1871. sandstone quarried from ohio was one of many building materials used in the construction of commercial lofts from the time of the great chicago fire of 1871 on through the "building boom" of the 1880's. known by the general name of "waverly sandstone" or "ohio freestone," this type of stone was transported to chicago from various quarries located at berea, columbia, berlin, amherst, waverly and other locations throughout the state. courtesy of bldg. 51 archive.