Walking Around Oak Street in Evanston

While waiting for an appointment in Evanston last week, I took some snapshots of the Oak Street neighborhood looking pretty good in early summer.

I'll start with Holabird and Roche's Masonic Temple, which is supposed to be undergoing some type of adaptive re-use. It is very empty, and locked tight, needing a yard mowing. It is also very beautiful and looks to have some stained glass inside.


















The Emmanuel United Methodist Church is a Red Brick Prairie (sort of) Church by Burnham and Root on the south end of my tour. The Brick is in remarkably good condition for a Church built in 1891. It sort of looks like the same brick as St. Gabriel's on the South Side.














Here's the Rectory at St. Mary's Roman Catholic, an arts and crafts beauty, in need of some HVAC work and a coat of paint.














This Queen Anne is the Catholic Woman's Club of Evanston. I think it is closed, or maybe not, but it is a standout bit of Architecture.

Here is Botti Studio, the premier stained glass restoration facility in the United States, aptly managed by Chris Botti, under a Papal Warrant from the 15th Century. Chris recently finished work on the Chicago Cultural Center Tiffany Dome.

The Merrick Rose Garden is a large urban garden giving a shot of floral beauty to this pleasant neighborhood. It is larger than I expected, occupying about 4 lots.

Here is the Entrance to the Margarita Club, a Catholic Woman's residence of 1927 Vintage. It is in remarkably good condition, and is in use as a bed and breakfast, with Va Pensiero restaurant inside (a good one the last time we went). Perhaps my favorite building in Evanston.