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The Herald
Volume XIII, Number 1 Spring 2019
ARCHITECT HOWARD VAN DOREN SHAW AT 150 by William Tyre
Friends, in partnership with Returning to Chicago in early 1893,
Glessner House, will host a half- he rejoined the firm of Jenney &
day symposium on May 11, 2019 to Mundie, and in April, married
honor the 150th anniversary of the Frances Wells in a ceremony at First
birth of architect Howard Van Presbyterian Church. By early 1894,
Doren Shaw, who designed our Shaw established his own practice,
National Historic Landmark setting up his office on the top floor
designated sanctuary in 1900 of his family home on Calumet
following a devastating fire. (See Avenue. He hired a draftsman,
page 4, for more information). In Robert G. Work, and quickly
this issue, we look back at Shaw’s established a reputation for designing
life and several commissions he distinctive residences in a variety of
received in the South Loop which architectural styles.
exhibit the breadth of his abilities.
In 1897, Shaw received his first large
Howard Van Doren Shaw was commission through his Yale
born on May 7, 1869 to Theodore classmate Thomas E. Donnelley.
and Sarah (Van Doren) Shaw. Ave., and joined Second Presbyterian The building at 731 S. Plymouth
Theodore was a successful dry by profession of faith in 1885. Shaw Court housed the Lakeside Press,
goods merchant and a descendant earned a Bachelor of Arts degree later R. R. Donnelley & Sons. The
of an early Quaker settler who from Yale in 1890 and that fall, vaulted fireproof structure with
came to America with William entered the Massachusetts Institute reinforced concrete floors showed
Penn. Sarah was a talented painter of Technology, where he completed Shaw’s ability to design a building
and a descendant of a prominent the rigorous two-year architecture that was both beautiful and highly
Dutch family that included the first program in just one year. functional.
mayor of Brooklyn, New York.
Shortly after Shaw’s death, fellow He returned to Chicago in 1891 and That same year, he received his first
architect Alfred Granger noted that quickly obtained an apprenticeship in commission from Second
Shaw had inherited his father’s the prominent firm of Jenney & Presbyterian Church, to design the
“strength of character and quiet Mundie, an outstanding training Crerar Sunday School Chapel at 5831
firmness” while receiving “his ground that had produced architects S. Indiana Ave. (see The Herald,
artistic taste, his love for color and including Daniel Burnham and Louis Spring 2016). The building, designed
fantasy” from his mother. Sullivan. The office was located in and built at the same time as Shaw’s
the Home Insurance Buildings, summer house, Ragdale, in Lake
Shaw’s parents married in 1865 and Jenney’s most prominent building Forest, features a similar façade with
started attending Second widely regarded as the first true twin gables sheathed in a smooth
Presbyterian Church. They skyscraper. In the summer of 1892, stucco finish. The Chapel and
established their home at 66 Shaw headed off to Europe for an Ragdale both exhibit Shaw’s early
Calumet Avenue (later 2124 S. extended journey studying and mastery of interpreting the English
Calumet). By the time Howard was sketching architecture. While in Arts & Crafts style.
a young boy, the house sat in the Spain, he met and traveled with
midst of the most exclusive The first of three houses Shaw
James Renwick Jr., the architect of designed in the neighborhood stood
residential district in the city. He St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York,
received a privileged upbringing, at 1900 S. Calumet Ave. and was
and Second Presbyterian Church in commissioned by Charles
attended the exclusive Harvard Chicago.
School for Boys at 2101 S. Indiana Starkweather in 1899. AlthoughVolume XIII, Number 1 Page 2
based on classic Georgian design, featured a large turntable set into the rather than a flashy display of money.”
interesting features such as the floor so that the auto could be turned Brick and limestone piers are clearly
Palladian window cut into the around when it was time to exit. The articulated as buttresses with recessed
pediment over the main entrance ground level was visually cut off from the spandrels and large expanses of glass
show Shaw’s interest in, and rest of the house by a projecting in between. Ornament includes rich
mastery of, introducing his personal limestone lintel above which was set a stone carving and terra cotta plaques
touch into each commission he large grouping of three windows, depicting historic printers’ marks. It
received. denoting the main living spaces on the was built in four phases, the last
second level. Although praised by completed after Shaw’s death, but true
He designed two additional houses architects, Shaw’s handwritten note in a to his original design.
in 1903. The first was built for scrapbook read “very avant-garde and
John B. Drake, Jr. and stood at criticized.” Shaw’s final commission in the
2106 S. Calumet Ave., just a couple neighborhood was for the Nyberg
of doors north of his family home. Shaw’s later commissions in the Automobile Works at 2435-37 S.
For the Drake house, Shaw turned neighborhood reflect its rapid Michigan Avenue, reflecting the
to the Tudor style creating a transformation from residential to growth of “Motor Row” along that
pleasing asymmetrical brick façade, commercial in the first decades of the 20th street. Completed in 1912, the
anchored by a central recessed century. In 1907, he designed a printing building featured huge plate glass
entryway and a wrap-around porch. plant for the publishers, Ginn & Co. windows at ground level to showcase
the automobiles, with a variety of
The second house designed that Shaw ornament enlivening the façade
year was more controversial. Built above.
for his Yale classmate Ralph Martin
Shaw (no relation) at 2632 S. Prairie Although Shaw never designed
Ave., the narrow brick rowhouse another building in the neighborhood,
was stylistically different from its he remained active, designing
everything from houses to industrial
buildings, and from a planned
company town (Marktown) to what is
Built of reinforced concrete in the regarded as the first modern shopping
Classical Revival style, the most notable mall (Market Square in Lake Forest).
feature was a series of three-story brick He died on May 6, 1926, one day
columns which lent a grand effect to the before his 57th birthday while being
façade. The building was the center of treated for pernicious anemia in
two preservation battles at the turn of the Baltimore, having been awarded the
21st century; the reconstructed façade prestigious gold medal from the
survives at 2203 S. Martin Luther King American Institute of Architects the
Dr. day before his death.
In 1911, Shaw received another His wife later wrote, “It was said about
commission from the Donnelley William Morris, ‘You can not lose a
company, which had outgrown its man like that by his own death, only
Lakeside Press building on Plymouth by your own.’ I know his family feels
Court. That year, the company acquired this to be true of Howard Shaw.” He
all of the lots on the east side of the 2100 was buried at Graceland Cemetery, the
block of Calumet Ave., directly across the family plot denoted by a distinctive
street from the house in which Shaw’s marker of his own design.
widowed mother was still living.
Considered one of the finest examples of
“Industrial Gothic,” the building’s design
reflects Shaw’s directive to design the GREAT NEWS!
neighbors, but more importantly, structure “so that it will not be beautiful
addressed the need for housing an only today, but one hundred years from Check out our new website:
automobile. The ground floor was now. We want to build it so people will historicsecondchurch.org
centered by the entrance to the say that it is art, intelligence and beauty
“motor row” or garage thatVolume XIII, Number 1 Page 3
Friends of Historic Jane Dewey Under $100 DESTINCTIVE DESTINATIONS
Second Church Jacquetta Ellinger Robert Adamshick
Jerry &. Jan Erickson Frank Baldwin & Friends of Historic Second Church is proud to
gratefully Diana Faulhaber Barbara Ellson announce that the National Trust for Historic
acknowledges the Jackie Finch & Nancy Bothne Preservation has named Second Presbyterian
following Jim Jepsen Alisyn Cochran Church as one of its Distinctive Destinations. The
memberships, Barbara J. Floyd Rochelle Davis
nearly 200 sites that carry this honored designation
Glenn & In memory of
donations, and Donna Gabanski Lorraine Coles represent diverse historic sites across the country
contributions from Margaret Grinnell Jim & Judy Elsass illustrating the breadth and depth of the American
September 27, 2018- Karen Haring Holly Harms-Laspina story. Check us out at savingplaces.org/distinctive-
Ray Hofmann & Roberta Harper destinations.
March 15, 2019.
Victoria Simms Senator Mattie Hunter
Robert Irving Linda Jebavy FRIENDS CELEBRATES THE ROARING 20S
$100,000 and up Jim & Darleen Jackson Chris & Jane Kerbaugh
Anonymous Bob & Christine M. Landem The Roaring Twenties were
Caroline Jacobsen Debra Mancoff marked by a feeling of novelty and
$10,000 - $50,000 Charles Katzenmeyer In memory of
Anonymous a break with traditions. New
Virginia Kerr Philip & Elinor technologies brought modernity
$5,000 - $9,999 Michael Leo Kirk Mancoff
Curt & Betty Klooster Marcia Palazzolo through automobiles, motion
Jeff & Annette Adams pictures and electrical appliances.
Anonymous Dr. Sharon Kobak Joan Pernecke
Judy & Allen Koessel In honor of Mary Art, architecture and music
Sandra Lancaster
Dorothy Korn Bucaro flourished.
$3,000 - $4,999 Kathryn Korn Lorene Decatur & Rev. Wednesday June 19, 2019
Law, Ware, Shedd, Deborah Lielasus Col. Gary Miller
Nate Lielasus & USMC
5:30 pm to 6:00 pm Docent Tours
Murphy Foundation
John Cramer Nancy Robinson 6:00 pm -“Roaring 20s”
$1,000 - $2,999 William & Judy Lussie Peggy Robinson presentation by Kathleen Skolnik,
Ada Schupp In memory of Susan & Jeffrey Ruff Art and Architecture Historian
Foundation Mary Gene Yee Vicky L. Sauter Reception to follow
William Hinchliff Anne S. Martin Robert J.
In honor of Stuart Miller Schwendau
Jerry & Jan Erickson Rev. David Neff Lorraine Singleton
SEEKING SUPPORT FOR THE RESTORATION
Karen V. Lamb Karen J. Oliver Marilyn Steenwyk OF A NARTHEX LUNETTE MURAL
Arthur Martin Elliott Otis Maryann G. &
Jeff & Linda Miller Darlene Pollard Robert Strain Do you remember
David and Lois Rakov In honor of walking through the
$500 - $999 Robert & Rev. Michael Kirby front doors of the
Michael & Vicki Reynolds Joan Tanaka church and looking
Ann Belletire Phyllis Robinson Roseanne Vitale up to see the very
Raymond & Natalie Sue Schmitt dark and dingy
Judy McCaskey Stephen & In memory of
Albert Walavich William Tyre’s friend
murals on either side of the narthex? Did you
Marilyn Scott think to yourself, “I’d love to see those murals
Robert Sedgwick & Julio Rios:
$100 - $499 Helen Torelli Mary Bucaro & cleaned up?’ Now is your chance to make that
Ross Anderson William & Richard Peloquin happen.
Rev. Karen Blatt Ingrid Stafford
John & Joan Blew Susana Steppan In-Kind Donations: Friends is seeking the funds to restore one of the
Mary Bucaro & Joan Stinton John LaMonica narthex lunette murals in 2019. The restoration
Richard Peloquin Karen Titus will involve consolidation of the paint to the
Diane S. Campbell Michael & Karen Trier plaster, cleaning and the correction of any damage
Trisha Cassidy & Scott Vandermyde or loss. The cost of the work is $9,800.
Andrew Wycislak John Vinci
Barbara Chasnoff & Wes & Imagine the difference your donation will make in
J. Thomas Johnson Betsy Westerfield
Clifford & the appearance of this mural. Please give today.
Maria Wicks
Barbara Crawford Stephen & Your donation can be made on Friends’ website:
Jean Culligan Mary Kay Wysham www.historicsecondchurch.org/donate/murals.
Thank you.Volume XIII, Number 1 Page 4
JOIN US IN CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF HOWARD VAN DOREN SHAW
HOWARD VAN DOREN SHAW SYMPOSIUM MARKTOWN WALKING TOUR
A symposium will
celebrate the life and
work of architect
Howard Van Doren
Shaw on the 150th
anniversary of his
birth. This symposium Nate Lielasus will lead a walking tour of the
brings together five community of Marktown, a former industrial town
scholars who will designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1917 to
speak on various house workers of the Indiana Harbor Works of the
aspects of Shaw’s Mark Manufacturing Company. Marktown represents a
notable career. Known in his day as the most radical of the rare example of town planning by Shaw. The tour will
conservatives, and the most conservative of the radicals, focus on the history of the community; the original,
Shaw’s style combined a variety of influences in new and only partially realized master plan; building typologies;
innovative ways that make his buildings, ranging from and repeated design elements throughout the
country houses to manufacturing plants, distinctive and easily community. With several of Marktown's buildings
recognizable. already demolished, and the increasing threat of
demolition of additional structures by the BP Whiting
Stuart Cohen, author of Inventing the New American Refinery, this is a valuable opportunity to see one of
House: Howard Van Doren Shaw, Architect, is the Shaw's most significant late-career projects.
keynote speaker.
Saturday, September 7th
ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Art Miller, retired archivist and librarian of special collections, Meeting place: To be determined
Lake Forest College - Market Square and Shaw’s commercial $20 per person/ $18 for members
work Purchase tickets at: historicsecondchurh.org
Anne Sullivan, preservation architect - Ragdale
Nate Lielasus, architect - Marktown NEAR NORTH SIDE WALKING TOUR
William Tyre, Curator, Glessner House - Shaw’s personal life,
and work in the South Loop Join architect Nate Lielasus on a walking tour of
Susan Baldwin Burian, architectural historian, will lead a Chicago’s Gold Coast to explore the contributions of
panel discussion with the speakers to discuss Shaw’s impact Howard Van Doren Shaw, and his contemporaries, to
and relevancy today. Guided tours of Shaw’s National the evolution of the neighborhood. The Near North
Historic Landmark designated sanctuary of Second Side developed as a wealthy enclave after the Great
Presbyterian Church will be offered at the conclusion of the Chicago Fire when Potter and Bertha Palmer built their
symposium. famous Castle-inspired mansion on Lake Shore
Drive. Following the Palmers, other wealthy
This symposium is generously funded by The Donnelley Chicagoans built their homes in the district, many
Foundation and the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation relocating from the community around Second
Saturday May 11, 2019 Presbyterian Church and Prairie Avenue. On this tour,
9:00 am to 1:00 pm (registration and breakfast at 8:30am) we will explore these mansions and luxury apartments
Second Presbyterian Church designed by Shaw and others and discuss the rise of the
1936 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago area to one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the
$25.00 per person or United States.
$20 per person for members of Glessner House and Saturday, September 21, 2019
Friends of Historic Second Church 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Purchase tickets online at www.glessnerhouse.org Meeting place: To be determined
(Pre-registration required) $20 per person/$18 for members
Purchase tickets at: historicsecondchurch.orgVolume XII, Number 1 Page 5
BECOME A MEMBER
2018 was an exciting year in the history of Friends of Historic Second Church with the return of the
completely restored 1903 Tiffany Peace window. It was also a standout year because YOU joined Friends in
record numbers-- a sign of your support for the work we are doing to restore the great art and architecture
of Chicago’s only National Historic Landmark church. We also saw far greater numbers of participants at
our programs and events. Now we are poised to make 2019 an even more outstanding year. We eagerly
anticipate the May 11 Shaw Symposium, celebrating the 150th birthday of Howard Van Doren Shaw, and
the June 19 celebration of Chicago history with a fun look at the Roaring Twenties. More preservation
projects are in the works. You won’t want to miss a thing. Join now because you believe in preservation as a
civic duty or join because you enjoy the events and love seeing restoration come to life. But don’t miss out
on your chance to be a vital part of living history – the restoration of Historic Second Church.
MEMBERSHIP FORM
All members receive the newsletter The Herald and are recognized as donors in the newsletter.
Tiffany Circle: $40 Individual; $55 Family; $25 Student/Senior (62 yrs.+)
Benefits include: Free tours during regular tour hours, 25% discount on Friends’ merchandise.
Arts & Crafts Circle: $100 and above
Benefits include: Free tours during regular tour hours, 25% discount on Friends’ merchandise, and invitations to
special members-only tours and programs.
I/we wish to become a member of Friends of Historic Second Church or renew a current membership.
Name: ________________________________________________________________________
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Enclosed is my check for $ for membership at the following level:
____ Tiffany Circle: $40 Individual; $55 Family; $25 Student/Senior (62 yrs.+)
____ Arts & Crafts Circle: $100 and above
____ Yes ____ No You may acknowledge my contribution in Friends’ publications.
____ Yes ____ No I prefer to receive my newsletter by e-mail.
____ Yes ____ No I am interested in volunteering for Friends’ activities.
If you wish to discuss sponsoring a restoration project, contact Friends of Historic Second Church at
1-800-657-0687.
Please return completed form with check made payable to:
Friends of Historic Second Church 1936 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616.
Or renew online at www.historicsecondchurch.org.1936 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: 1-800-657-0687
E-mail: historic2ndchurch@yahoo.com
Web: www.historicsecondchurch.org
B OARD OF D IRECTORS
Linda Miller, President
Nate Lielasus, Vice President
Susan Baldwin Burian, Secretary
Ann Belletire, Treasurer
William Tyre, Assistant Treasurer
Rowena Balogun
James T. Barnes
Mary Bucaro
Heather Haberaecker
Ruth Sharpe
Michael Shawgo
Jane Tiffen
Rev. David Neff, ex-officio
Karen Oliver, ex-officio
Heather Kendall Administrative Manager
Contributors: Ann Belletire, Heather Kendall,
Nate Lielasus, Linda Miller, and William Tyre.
2019 DOCENT TRAINING NEW SCOUT BADGE PROGRAMS ARRIVING
A wonderful way to learn about the world-class art and architecture We are proud to
of Second Presbyterian Church is to join the upcoming Docent announce our new
Training Class of 2019. Trainees who certify will become official scout badge program.
docents for Friends of Historic Second Church, sharing their love of We are offering the
history, art and architecture with guests from around the world or Girl Scout Detective
down the street. Training sessions will occur at 6:30 pm on
Badge for Junior
Thursdays, May 9, 16 and 23; and on Saturday, June 8 from 9:00 am –
noon. A partial list of topics to be examined includes: The Arts and scouts. All
Crafts movement; architects James Renwick, Jr. and Howard Van requirements of the badge are part of the
Doren Shaw; Gothic Revival architecture; artists Frederic Clay program. The scouts will investigate who or what
Bartlett and Louis Comfort Tiffany; the church’s stained glass started the 1900 March fire by following clues,
windows (both American and English); preservation philosophy and using primary source materials, talking to
techniques; and a review of completed restoration projects. witnesses, and determining whether the limestone
Please visit www.historicsecondfriends.org under Announcements on started the fire. Will they solve who or what was
the Home Page and click the link to Docent Training to complete the the culprit? To find out sign up your troop at:
application form on line. https://www.historicsecondchurch.org/
scoutbadgeprograms.
Mission Statement Friends of Historic Second Church
The mission of Friends of Historic Second Church is to preserve and restore the art and is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
corporation. All donations are
architecture of Chicago’s Landmark Second Presbyterian Church, educate a worldwide
deductible to the extent allowed by
audience about its historical and cultural significance, and share those resources with the community. law.You can also read
