Greystone (architecture)

The Dewes House

The Wells House

The King-Nash House

Greystones are a style of residential building most commonly found in Chicago. As the name suggests, the buildings are typically grey in color and were most often built with Bedford Limestone quarried from South Central Indiana.^[1]

The building style first began to appear in the 1890s and continued through 1930s with two major approaches in design. The first style, between 1890 and 1905, was Romanesque in nature with arches and cornices. The second style was predominately built in a Neo-classical design incorporating smoother limestone blocks featuring columns and bay windows.^[2] Most of the homes were initially built in the North Lawndale neighborhood but they can still be found throughout many neighborhoods of Chicago.

Greystones were built in a wide variety of sizes to accommodate different residential needs with most being 2 to 3 floors in size, many commonly containing 2 to 3 flats but some up to 6.^[3] Regardless of their size, they were always built with the limestone facade facing the street to take advantage of the limited size of standard Chicago lots (25' x 125'). There are an estimated 30,000 greystones still remaining in the city and many citizens, architects and preservationists are working to revive those that remain through the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative.^[4]

The term "greystone" is also used to refer to buildings in Montreal, Canada (known in French as pierre grise). It refers to the grey limestone facades of many buildings, both residential and institutional, constructed between 1730 and 1920.^[5]

Styles

There are many different styles of greystones; with the City of Chicago defining most attributes for the style for landmark status.^[6]

Romanesque Revival

• Heavy, rough-cut stone walls
• Round arches and squat columns
• Deeply recessed windows
• Pressed metal bays and turrets

Queen Anne

• Rich but simple ornament
• Wide variety of materials, including wood, stone and pressed metal
• Expansive porches
• Pressed metal bays and turrets
• Irregular roofline with many dormers and chimneys

Chateauesque

• Vertical proportions
• Massive-looking masonry walls
• Ornate carved stone ornament
• High-peaked hipped roofs, elaborate dormers and tall chimneys

Classical Revival/Beaux Arts

• Symmetrical facades
• Minimal use of bays, towers, or other projecting building elements
• Classical ornament, including columns, cornices and triangular pediments
• Wide variety of materials, including brick, stone and wood

See also

• Brownstone

References

1. "What is a Greystone?". Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
2. Williams, David. "Greystones: Chicago's Answer to Brownstones". Stories in Stone. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
3. Williams, David. "Greystones: Chicago's Answer to Brownstones". Stories in Stone. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
4. Kolson Hurley, Amanda. "Q&A with Charles Leeks". Architect Magazine. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
5. Drouin, Martin (2005). Combat du patrimoine à Montréal (1973-2003). Québec, Canada: Presses de l'Université du Québec. pp. 128–130.
6. "Landmark Styles". City of Chicago. Retrieved 16 November 2012.

External links

• Greystone Certification Program