At Home in Our Old Town: Every House Has a Story

Every house has a story. Old Town houses are, as the name says, old. Most were built at the end of the nineteenth century after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. A few wood houses, those constructed before 1874, nestle in the shadow of their more elaborate brick cousins. All began as single-family dwellings, evolved into rooming houses, and then reverted to their single-family roots. Today, they share the streetscape with apartment and condominium buildings. To really appreciate the enduring ch…