Lost Edgewater

The original residential structures west of Broadway for the most part are still with us, even though their appearances may have changed, particularly for those that are frame. Not so east of Broadway in J.L. Cochran’s original Edgewater subdivisions. In fact just the opposite is the case – very few of the original single family homes remain (25 in our latest count). Most have been lost due to multiple waves of replacement construction.

The first wave began in the late teens and 1920s, when the courtyard, corner, common corridor buildings and large apartment hotels were constructed. The north half of Cochran’s original subdivision along Kenmore and Winthrop (between Bryn Mawr and Balmoral) was most affected. Not all of the new buildings replaced the original residences, as there was still vacant land available, but some residences were lost in this period.

The second wave came in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the construction of the 4+1 apartment building. It was this wave that was the most destructive, as almost all of the some 50 such structures replaced original residences. The north section along Kenmore and Winthrop was particularly hard hit, as was the west side of Sheridan Road.

About the same time, though starting earlier and ending later, the construction of highrises along the east side of Sheridan Road, north of Bryn Mawr, resulted in the loss of the mansions that had been originally constructed there.

The third wave took place in the period 2002 through 2007, during the condo boom that occurred in those years. In addition, at the north end at least two residences were lost due to Loyola University’s expansion south into Edgewater.

The following three slide shows some of the homes along Kenmore, Winthrop and Sheridan Road that were lost.  [The planned slide shows have not yet been developed.]

Click here for the digital version of The Book of the North Shore which contains photos of some of the mansions on North Sheridan Road.

This page is still under construction.