By Deirdre Graziano

Take the time some evening to stroll the 2200 block of North Burling Street. You will be awed by the architectural gem that awaits… a collection of ten magnificent brick row houses that comprise the Burling Row House Landmark District.

	Shared setback, scale and height lend a flowing integrity to this housing
The row houses of Burling Street

These splendid homes, at 2225-2245 North Burling, rank among the rarest groupings of high-quality Italianate-style row houses in Chicago. Constructed in 1875 after the Chicago Fire, they were among the first houses built following the passage of a (then) new city ordinance requiring fireproof masonry.

Each row house shares a party wall with its immediate neighbor. This commonality is both a strength and a weakness. The architectural unity provides a flowing presence. But when one of the row houses was threatened with demolition, the row house owners knew they were facing possible extinction.

Like a domino effect, the removal of one of the units could possibly trigger catastrophic consequences to the others. Because of their close proximity to the lake, the houses basically sit on a sand base. The owners’ fears were well founded.

Losing these row houses would be losing an American historical tradition. Historically row houses came to America early and, although the east coast has many more in number, the beauty of the Burling row houses is difficult to surpass. Replicating them today would be virtually impossible.

As the plaque honoring the row houses states the houses are excellent examples of the Italianate style, which dominated Chicago architecture between the Civil War and the late 1870s. Because they were designed as an integral collection, the row houses have an exceptional architectural unity of common setbacks, scale and height. They are further distinguished by their fine window ornamentation and a extremely rare wooden cornice (shared by all ten houses) that remains intact.

Decorative lintel	Shared wooden cornice runs along roofline
Closeup of cornice

Original pent-style porch roofs still grace some of the houses. These small, single-slope roofs are attached just above the front doors. They provide shade and, with no columns or posts, are uniquely self-supporting.

Pent style porch roof	Adapted front porch
Throughout the years some porches were changed

The row houses were designed by one of Chicago’s earliest and most import architects, Edward J. Burling (1819-1892). Some of his other prominent buildings include St. James Episcopal Cathedral, the Nickerson Mansion, and the Church of the Epiphany in the Jackson Boulevard District. L.C.A.’s street was named for Burling in the 1850s. Many of Burling’s buildings have vanished – either destroyed in the 1871 fire or lost to redevelopment, making the row houses especially valuable.

The threatened demolition of an end row house was the catalyst that prompted the other row house owners to seek landmark status. In 2000, owners of the row houses, Landmark Illinois. Chicago Landmarks, Lincoln Central Association and Alderman Vi Daley finally succeeded in securing landmark status for these buildings. On November 15, 2000, the Commission on Chicago Landmark designated the row houses landmark status. An engraved plaque honoring the row houses is in place for your viewing. The row houses are now preserved for posterity. You and your family can now enjoy their presence and share in their beauty. So take a walk down a historical street. It’s a trip you’ll surely treasure.

(Much of the information in this article comes from the City of Chicago website http://www.cityofchicago.org.)

Photos by Deirdre Graziano