E. 1/2 of N.E. 1/4 Section 4.39.14 [Chicago]

A portion of Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood from the late 19th century.

This fabulously detailed map of several city blocks in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood was published in response to the devastating fire that rampaged through the city between October 8-10, 1871. Elisha Robinson, its creator, was one of the numerous publishers who issued atlases specifically for the fire insurance industry. In order to properly assess risk, insurers needed information on building size, construction material, and the availability of water. Surveys were painstakingly performed, usually on foot, and the results are among the most complete snapshots of the city’s physical makeup in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In theory, every single building that existed at the time of publication is outlined within the borders of the map. Color was applied by stencil and shows the construction material of each structure; pink is brick, yellow is wood, brown is stone, and blue is iron. Crosses on a building footprint indicate its use as a stable, or otherwise likely to hold combustible materials. Water and sewer lines, street elevation (which affects the flow), fire hydrants, and cisterns are also all noted.

The image is bounded by North Avenue, State Street, Division Street, and LaSalle Avenue and is subtitled the Bronson Addition – likely after Arthur Bronson, a New York financier and early investor in Chicago during the 1830s and 40s. The affluent neighborhood is comprised of brick houses on relatively spacious lots with paved streets. Stone facades on building blocks likely indicate mixed commercial and residential use, with numerous additions and sub-divisions labeled. The area includes a Baptist Church, Summer Garden, and Malt House. The last was located near the site on which the Playboy Mansion would ultimately be built.

The map was issued as plate 21 from Volume III of Robinson’s Fire Insurance Atlas. Published in Chicago by Elisha Robinson in 1886.