Chicago has always been rich in history. For photographer Ronnie Frey, recent walks through the city became an exercise in noticing what many people pass without a second glance. Not just a building, but detail, craftsmanship, and a specific vision to the doorways. Hear from Ronnie on the history and charm from the intimate residential entrance of Crilly Court in Old Town, to the famous Studebaker Theatre of Chicago's Fine Arts Building, to the beautifully crafted Uptown Broadway Building. 

Doorways of Chicago is now available for pre-order and will be in stores May 5th. 

Chicago’s Fine Arts Building

Chicago’s Fine Arts Building, The Loop, Circa 1898

This is where my studio is, where my gallery is, and honestly, being here has changed my life in a lot of significant ways.

When I moved in and started learning the history, I was blown away.

This was originally built by the five Studebaker brothers as their carriage manufacturing facility and showroom. The main entrance actually used to be an open archway that went straight back to the alley. So, picture this: all the materials would come in through the alley, go up the freight elevator to the top floor, and that’s where everything started.

They’d assemble the carriages up on the 8th floor, then send them down one level to be painted, then down another to be upholstered, and they basically worked their way floor by floor all the way down to the showroom.

So, what you’re looking at is essentially a vertical assembly line, which, at the time, was a really big idea, having never really been done before. And that was all designed by Solon S. Beman, who also designed Pullman. If you know Pullman, that whole factory and town were organized very intentionally. It’s the same idea, just horizontally vs. vertically in the Fine Arts Building.

It was one of the earlier examples of a manufacturing space being fully thought through and designed for efficiency.  Tasks were grouped in a way that actually made production faster and smoother.

In 1898 the brothers moved to a different building and transformed it into the Fine Arts Building. Fast forward to today, and you’ve got artists, musicians, studios, galleries, the same thing nearly 130 years later!

Edgar Door at Crilly Court Residences

Crilly Court Residences, Old Town, Circa late 1800s

This is one of my favorite little tucked-away spots in Old Town, and the names above the doors are what first attracted me to find out the history of this building.

This whole row was built during the housing boom of the late 1800s by a developer named Daniel Crilly. And if you look at the four doorways facing west, you’ll see the names Edgar, Oliver, Isabelle, and Ermanie. Those are his kids!

But then it gets a little more interesting. There are two more doorways, one on the north side and one on the south, and the names there are a bit more unexpected.

One says Eugenie, as in the French Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III. Eugenie Street is actually named after her. And then the other one says Florimond, which is not a name you see every day. That’s Florimond Canda, who was a heavily awarded general under Napoleon and fought at the Battle of Waterloo.

After the war, he ended up in Chicago, likely moving to be closer to his brother, Charles Canda, who had a farm right here on this land.

Charles passed away, and Florimond inherited the property. He eventually sold it to Daniel Crilly in the late 1800s, who then immediately built this apartment building due to the housing boom.

So, what you’re looking at is this really layered story. You’ve got Crilly’s family literally written into the buildings, but also this unexpected connection back to France, Napoleon, and the Battle of Waterloo, all tied to this one little quaint block in Oldtown.

It’s a reminder that Chicago went from farmland to city really fast, and all of that history is carved in limestone right in these doorways.

Uptown Broadway Building, Uptown 

Uptown Broadway Building, Circa 1926

I always say if doorways could talk, this one would absolutely be the loudest in the room! I mean, look at it! It’s kind of like a Spanish Baroque fantasy dream!

You’ve got everything going on here. Gods, rams’ heads, Roman helmets, birds, shields, fruit, etc. It’s like they said “yes” to every idea! It’s terra cotta, and it’s 100% over-the-top, but it completely works.

This was built in 1926 and designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager, who is the same architect behind the Roxy Theatre in New York and the InterContinental on Michigan Avenue, so he clearly wasn’t afraid of a little drama.

It was developed during one of Uptown’s big boom periods, and originally this was more of a professional building, believe it or not: doctors, dentists, and office spaces.

I remember the first time I saw it, I stood there for ten minutes, mouth hanging open, taking it all in. Then walked away, shaking my head in disbelief, glancing back to make sure I had not imagined the whole thing!

Doorways of Chicago is now available for pre-order and will be in stores May 5th.