Vestiges of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition can be found scattered around the globe … if you know where to look. Several sites related to the World’s Fair are included in the 2019 Open House Chicago, held on October 19-20, 2019:
- Decorators Supply Corp. (3610 S. Morgan St.) manufactured cast ornamental plaster that helped create the mouldings for the buildings of the “White City” at the 1893 World’s Fair.
- St. John Cantius Roman Catholic Church (825 N. Carpenter St., Chicago) features a High Altar and statuary that can be traced back to the 1893 World’s Fair.
- Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago (2700 N. Pine Grove Ave., Chicago) was designed by architect Solon S. Beman after his Merchant Tailors’ Building on the grounds of the 1893 World’s Fair.
- The Union League Club of Chicago members were instrumental in having Chicago selected as the site of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and held prominent positions in the Fair governance.
- The Hyde Park Historical Society (5529 S. Lake Park Ave., Chicago) is housed in red brick building originally constructed as a depot for a cable car loop for 1893 World’s Fair visitors.
Sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Center, Open House Chicago is a free public festival that offers behind-the-scenes access to more than 350 buildings across Chicago. Each site has specific open times.
Solon S. Beman’s Merchant Tailors’ Building for the 1893 World’s Fair. [Image from Johnson, Rossiter A History of the World’s Columbian Exposition Volume 1 – Narrative. D. Appleton and Co., 1897.]
Solon S. Beman’s Second Church of Christ, Chicago (1899-1901). [Image from Second Church of Christ, Chicago.]