Gold Coast
Archbishop's residence
Much of the Gold Coast was originally a Catholic cemetery adjacent to the city’s cemetery at North Avenue. In the 1860s, the graves were removed, and by 1880, Chicago had become an archdiocese. Archbishop Feehan, the new archbishop, built a mansion for himself on church property.
Vatican flag at the Archbishop's residence
In 1882, Potter Palmer bought the
land between Banks Street and Burton Place along Lake Shore Drive from the
archbishop. Palmer built a “castle” on part of the land and sold the rest to
other wealthy Chicagoans for a huge profit. By the early 1900s, many prominent
Chicagoans moved to the fashionable north shore, and the Gold Coast was born.
The area’s fascinating Astor Street, which features Art Deco and other design
styles as well as the former homes of Chicago’s most prominent families, gained
landmark status in 1975.
Although many developers would prefer to replace some of these structures with
high-rise buildings, the landmark status protects the homes. Lake Shore Drive,
on the other hand, lacks landmark status and high rises line the street.
side door of the Archbishop's Residence
carriage house of the Archbishop's Residence
the Gold Coast
Beaux Arts apartment building
Benjamin Marshall (1912)
streets of Chicago were formerly
paved with wood blocks and covered with tar
(led to the fact "streets were burning" during the Chicago fire)
along Astor street
Grand entrance on the right, servant entrance on the left
Dutch Colonial design
Art Deco home (1929)
1444 North Astor Street
The Patterson-McCormick Mansion (1892)
Stanford White, designer
walking the dog in front of the mansion
Art Deco screen
McCormick-Blair house (1913)
Fall wreath over the door
William D. Kerfoot house
Halloween time
William Wrigley Home (1885)
a later addition to the William Wrigley home
a restricted neighborhood
designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Germanic style
on Schiller Street
needs restoration
International College of Surgeons
along the Lake front
Dwight L. Moody Memorial Church
the entrance
statue of Lincoln
in Lincoln Park
