Tadman wrote:Looks like the chemical company has covered the shops in aluminum siding. I hear this is done because the UV rays from the sun can start to decay old brick buildings. The same thing was done to the South Shore's 1906-vintage brick shops in Michigan City, IN, and that was the explanation I got from a friend that works there.
The chemical company (Jones Chemicals) sheathed the building quite a while back- I want to say about 15 years. It now looks like one of the world's largest Butler Buildings.
The reason, I suspect, was for ease of exterior maintenance. It isn't a brick building; built previous to 1910, it is steel framed, with concrete over steel lath exterior walls. All walls were mostly windows; in later years the L&HR had covered several window panels with corrugated fiberglass panels to save the expense of replacing window panes.
The road's former headquarters building, overlooking the shops, was build in 1910 and is of brick construction; I haven't noticed any real signs of deterioration of the bricks.
