Chicago firefighters battle blaze in Edgewater neighborhood

CHICAGO (SCS) — Chicago firefighters respond to a fire in the Edgewater neighborhood.

The fire started on the roof of the residential building at 1054 W. Hollywood Ave. It was reported just after 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, and the fire department called a fixed and box alarm for additional manpower and equipment.

So far, no injuries have been reported.

The condominium building is historic, having been built in 1903 as the private Stickney School, founded by Massachusetts-born sisters Julia Noyes Stickney (1870-1951) and Josephine Stickney (1872-1956). The school included a co-educational K-8 program and an all-girls high school, which focused on preparing girls to attend colleges such as Smith, Holyoke, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, and Vassar, according to the Edgewater Historical Society.

The Stickney School’s name remains carved in stone above the front door of the building, now known as Stickney School Condominiums.

A Historic Resources Survey for the Redefine the Drive project noted that the building was designed by architect JEO Pridmore, a native of England who lived in Edgewater. The survey notes the architectural significance of the red brick building.

“With significant historic features such as a crenellated parapet and an arched limestone doorway, the school building contrasts visually with the adjacent four-plus-one apartment structures from the 1960s that stand on either side,” notes l ‘investigation.

The building is also a familiar sight for many motorists. The stretch of Hollywood Avenue where it is located is on one of the main routes to DuSable Lake Shore Drive in this area, and is part of a connection between the Drive and the Edens Expressway with Peterson and Ridge Avenues.

This is a developing story.