1769, 1773, and 1775 W. Morse, c.1909

Looking Southeast from Morse and Ravenswood

I'm a big fan of the gable-front cottages you see throughout Chicago.  These were
inexpensive wood-framed homes with brick foundations constructed by local builders.  Builders would typically buy up a few lots at a time and construct identical homes, taking advantage of the economy of scale .  The wood framing lends itself to additions, dormers, and bays, so these homes have often changed substantially.  The original wood clapboard may be covered with layers of artificial siding and eave brackets or other ornamentation may have rotted away or been removed.  In the image to the right there's a portion of the Union Pacific North railroad viaduct.  This train line would have been recently elevated when these homes were built in 1909.


Originally there were two lots with 50' frontage, but the west lot along Ravenswood was divided to create two 25' lots.  This is odd, since the inside lot has no access to the street or the alley.  The lot on the east still has a 50' frontage, making it very attractive for multiunit redevelopment.  This has already occurred on the two remaining parcels on the block, where there are large brick and CMU condos.