The Coach House by Chipka

Photography • Historical • posted on Sep 03, 2012

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Description

Chicago’s Cable House is a prime example of how the now-infamous 2% lived, back in the grand-old 1880s. I’ve passed the Cable House on many occasions in the past, without ever realizing that the hulking, ponderously-large (and ornate) mass of stone was an actual house. There are castles in Ireland that are smaller than this place. The Cable House is an example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style: something I thought existed in old places, like Boston. Ah, but Chicago is old, by US-American standards, despite the constant dabs of plastic surgery inflicted upon the city by various mayors. This isn’t a photograph of the Cable House. This magnificent mansion is little more than the coach house. It’s small, compared to the parent structure unseen in this photograph. I didn’t realize that this was a coach house when I first saw it. I was walking with my friend Beth, when I took this photo. The last time I saw Beth was when we both lived in Prague, when we both spent time working with Czech students, learning more about the English language than we ever thought possible. One must know such things when teaching Czech students. Beth and I both had the honor of working with a rather opinionated, challenging, and ultimately fun student named Petr. He’d gained the nickname, “Petr the Teacher Eater” by the various ESL-Teacher trainees put through their paces with Petr at the front of the class. Since I was thinking about an intensely intelligent, endlessly curious, and profoundly opinionated Czech student, I wasn’t paying attention to the landmarks around me. And so I’d passed the Cable House proper, and only caught sight of the coach house on the property, because of a flash of purple. Flowers of some sort. I’ve only learned (about a week ago) that the image I captured (by sticking my camera through the enormous, wrought-iron fence) was the coach house to the massive thing just out of sight of the massive architectural thing just out of sight here. I’m amazed that a coach house can look like this. I’ve seen alleged mansions that took up less room. And now, I wonder just who lived in this idyllic, undoubtedly expensive place. As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great week.

Comments (20)

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CoreyBlack

7:30PM | Mon, 03 September 2012

Yes, I've been by the rather massive parent house numerous times,(and even made numerous pix of it in 2010), and didn't realize it was a house! For some reason, I assumed it was simply an ornate 100 year office building of a style we have quite a lot of here in Chicago. Funny how you get used to things and don't fully notice them after awhile. I didn't even NOTICE the coach house! Or if I did I wasn't aware that's what it was. Largesse of this kind boggles my mind. It does, however, make an interesting spectacle for a great picture. Well done!

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NefariousDrO

7:36PM | Mon, 03 September 2012

I would give an awful lot (yes, the devil would quite likely get an easy deal, I hope with a few added enticers, but still... Easy) to live in a place like this. I've always loved the rough and subtle texture variations you get with stone, and to a lesser extent brick. But this it a step above, because the architect understood how to WORK those textures with the lines and patterns of the building's shape, and the other textures being used. Magnificent photo my friend, this is beautifully captured.

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PREECHER

7:42PM | Mon, 03 September 2012

wow...it is grande indeed...my entire house is probably the size of the arch...which looks like a garage...those blue purpleish flowers are beautiful that is my favourite colour...shades of blues...i guess those massive walls behind it are the main house eh...so this is where the slaves lived??? oh my they had it made didn't they whoever lived there...i can 'almost' imagine but not really...the gap is so large between the 1-2% and the rest of us. i don't think most americans realize how large that gap is. i believe that people who live around me believe they are middle class and not even upper middle class is even close to the population you describe. rachel maddox...is that her name...i think...gave the best representation of how big the gap is that i have seen. she explained it where a 13 year old should be able to understand but i have grownups that still do not understand it...i guess some people just will never understand. this is an excellent photo...you captured the guest/coach house or whatever it is excellently...i wish you a very pleasant evening... chills and thrills

MrsLubner

8:00PM | Mon, 03 September 2012

How lovely. Once mentioned, I can readily see the carriage doors, upper loading loft, traditional styling of an elegant carriage house. Yes, we are a young nation who calls our 100-year old buildings "historic" treasures and older buildings rarely exist because they were not built of materials meant to last. I don't believe I've ever seen a building of any sort that was older than 150 years old and maybe only one or two of those. :-)

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auntietk

10:04PM | Mon, 03 September 2012

I would have known this for Chicago architecture anywhere. That massive arch, so loved by Louis Sullivan, was duplicated all over your city a hundred times. I'm sure there are arches like that in other cities, but I will always associate them with the Chicago School. Terrific image! It won't be coming down any time soon ... it's on the Register. Yay! :)

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KatesFriend

10:13PM | Mon, 03 September 2012

I am really taken by the colour in this shot. Aside from the broad pallet (which always works for me) its contrast against the gray hulking structure behind is like a defiant rebel unbent by over a century of 'finding efficiencies' as some say today. The shingles in particular are terrific. They could build with style back then, when they chose to that is. It's a shame for a good socialist (I mean Canadian) to admit but sometimes rich people do hire the right poor people to craft good things that are of value to not just themselves. If I keep talking like this I might start supporting Romney. It would be too much to ask I suppose for the real Cable House to be as glorious as its Coach House. I expect that the original owners must have really liked their horses. Which was rather common in England but not so much in the practical money grubbing and uncultured colonies - both are countries are colonies to them.

whaleman

11:16PM | Mon, 03 September 2012

I imagine you will find out who lived there and tell us later! It's a great shot and unexpectedly sandwiched by the other structures that came later. I can see it as a coach house because it appears to have the living quarters for whoever managed the coach work, likely a whole family. Most interesting!

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Faemike55

11:48PM | Mon, 03 September 2012

very beautiful and ornate building I could get use to living in such a place Great capture and narrative

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durleybeachbum

12:39AM | Tue, 04 September 2012

So strange to see this rather cute building in this context..looks like a stage set for Hansel and Gretel!

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wysiwig

2:26AM | Tue, 04 September 2012

A very attractive building, just my type. I especially like the stone work and the left side turret. I learned as a real estate appraiser what wonderful things money can do.

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helanker

3:41AM | Tue, 04 September 2012

AN absolutely adorable house. I so love the stones, the roof, the tower and the window, not to mention the lovely garden. Not to forget the street lamp. Thank you for sharing this awesome looking house, Chip.

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