People familiar with the Cermak Road and Indiana Avenue area may remember the three-story building called Indiana Flats. Built in 1895 and once home to Frank Lowden (governor) and his then-fiancee Frances Pullman (daughter of railroad magnate George M. Pullman) this dwelling succumbed to the city's redevelopment and was razed. Preservation Chicago envisioned the rehabilitated building as a historical entry way for tourists and guests traveling to McCormick Place Convention Center and an example of 19th Century architecture. What's worse to see, a big crane demolishing the building from one end to the other, or a group of salvaging scrappers pulling pieces of copper, cornices, and ornaments from its exterior, eradicating the 109 year old property's historical value. The picture below is what the property looks like now. Either way, another piece of Chicago's history is lost. Immediately west on the same city block is the former site of the Lexington Hotel, once home to Al Capone. It's amazing how large Chicago is but yet so much history can be found on any street corner.
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