CTA North Main Line HIBS/HAER Documentation

Chicago, IL

As a result of the Historic Preservation Act’s Section 106 review, CTA agreed to research, photograph, and document both the Vautravers Building located in the Newport Historic District and 18.9 miles of CTA’s elevated track structure as an archival record to be housed at the Library of Congress. AltusWorks, teamed with TY Lin International, Carol Naughton & Associates and Dirk Mathews Photography were awarded the Historic Illinois Building Survey (HIBS) of the landmark building and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation of CTA’s historic north mainline stretching from the Merchandise Mart to the terminus of three transit lines – the brown line terminating at Kimball Avenue in Chicago, the re line terminating at Howard Street in Chicago and the purple line terminating in Wilmette. Locally, findings from the HAER documentation will showcase the importance of the riveted steel elevated track structure in the greater development of Chicago through an interpretive exhibit of a salvaged steel bent and an illustrated historic exhibit displayed at the Belmont Station.