When we were scouting locations, we found a brick building at the end of a long, overgrown road.
Upon closer inspection we realized it was an old, boarded-up Chicago Fire Department building.
It was kind of weird seeing a building I was more used to in a crowded urban neighborhood, all by its lonesome here.
What’s that? You say you want video of the building?
Alright, alright, here it is:
I’ve been drawing a comic that featured a warehouse in one of the setups, and after I had them all drawn up I saw your pics from the location shoots and thought “Damn, those would have been great.” This building is pretty cool too. Next time I need photo reference, I’m emailing you, buddy.
What happened to the rest of the town?
It’s a great building, but it does seem a but out of place.
I’m still laughing at the Twitter. I don’t know why, but that dumb thing gives me much pleasure.
Nice building.
i was wondering if you can tell me where this is?? i am very interested in taking a look for myself 🙂
It’s been a while, so I could be wrong, but I believe it’s right here.
The photographs are of the Chicago Fire Department house of Engine 53 on S. Packers Avenue in what used to be the Union Stockyards. The old house used to be surrounded by cattle pens, animal chutes and the various buildings in the huge stockyard complex. It was all made of wood and presented a gigantic fire protection problem.
Engine 53 and Engine 59, located on Exchange Avenue (that house is still there, too),were the first due companies to all alarms in the stockyards.
If you visit the area, make sure you stop and see the firefighters memorial on Exchange Avenue near the famous stockyards gate. It pays tribute to 21 of my brother firefighters who died in the line of duty in a warehouse fire and collapse on Loomis Avenue in the stockyards in 1910.