In Pictures: Ronald Reagan's Chicago Childhood Home Is Demolished
By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 4, 2013 1:30PM
DNAInfo Chicago reported Tuesday that demolition began on an apartment building at 832 E. 57th Street best known for being home to President Ronald Reagan during his terrible twos.
A rumor in January that the University of Chicago was looking to turn the lot the building stood on into a parking lot for President Barack Obama’s presidential library was quickly debunked, while preservationists and fans of the Great Communicator fought in vain to prevent the demolition. The Commission of Chicago Landmarks ruled the building doesn’t have architectural significance and “is not associated with Mr. Reagan during his active and productive years,” unless one considers potty training to be active and productive.
The university, which bought the building in 2004, plans to turn the lot into a grassy strip adjacent to the current parking lot that serves U of C Medical Center. They also have plans to erect a plaque at the site to reference Reagan’s connection to it.
From the photos it’s clear the apartment building is an anachronism in the center of the ongoing development currently being undertaken by the university. But there is a lot to admire in the building’s detail and its rounded front rooms, which must have benefited from ample sunshine on a day like this, a century ago.