Mrs. O’Leary’s Legacy

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Chicago’s building codes are among the strictest in the nation, partially as a result of the great Chicago fire, which destroyed virtually the entire city in 1871, and other epic fires in later years.  Metal fire windows containing “chicken wire” glass were required by code in early high rises and public buildings near fire escapes and other critical exit paths, and remain a unique feature of our urban landscape.

We were called in when the builder remodeling a 1912 high-rise on Lakeshore Drive broke one of the fire windows in a vintage condo while trying to remove it improperly.  Despite the fact that the particular glass pattern in this window has not been manufactured for more than a half-century, we were able to use our network of contacts to locate an exact match, and reglaze one lite in the metal sash.  We subsequently provided parts and expertise to the contractor for proper repairs and restoration of several other fire windows in this condo unit.