The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-29
sToREY,s CASTLE.
Its Costly Materials Being Used IN
Building Fifty Houses.
Chicago Tribune.

Chicago Tribune.
Down in, little grove or stunted OAK
trees lies a pile of white marble and DricK
All day long men Chamber over the pile,
dislodging q piece here and there, Wnlcn
they drag TO other smaller piles In 'front.'
of excavations on Vernon and VincenneS
avenues. row Of new white-front houses
on Vernon avenue and two others on VIM
cennes tell where some OF the marble na Is
together They are larger than the aver
age. Although nearly all OF the material
I'm these structures has come from the big
pile which the houses overlook, that has
not shrunk much. Neither viii 1t have d.
minished quite one-half from the original
proportions when the building operations
how contemplated into which its compo-
nents enter shall be finished. There will be
Ptuff enough left TO build thirty more
houses when the twenty now planned are
completed
This big pile Of sculptured marble and
brick Is the ruins of the mansion started
BY WILDER F. Storey. Back in the early
S0s it was the show house on the Grand
boulevard. The editor of the Times owned
four and One-half acres running along For
ty-third street from the Grand boulevard
back to NincenneS avenue. His great man
sion stood ct the northeastern corner OF the
plat on slightly rising ground. 1T was an
impos lg mansion, four or five stories high,
built Of Vermont marble that Shone in the
sunlight. There was no house In chicago
so pretentiouS although nowadays there
are numbers on the swell streets or the
three divisions of the city which may be
coufpare TO the Storey castle, as IL was
called The mansion was never completed.
A Temporary roof vas put on and work
suspended several years before Mr.. Storey
After that event the property was di-
vided among four heirs. All the efforts
that sharp real-estate men knew how 10
make were directed toward the sale OF the
great house. Nobody could be round, now
ever, who wanted, II, AMI nnally IL was de-
cided that the mansion must be RACED.
What was to be done with the marble.
brick and iron that composed 1t? The iron
girders and beams might be Sold, but &c
peddIe the brick and stone for hauling was
likely 10 be vexatiouS and unprontable
Job. Why not build houses with IL? was
the suggestion made TO the owners. Inc
latter grabbed at the idea. They consulted
architects. who made measure ments. draw
ings and plans, and accompanied them WIN
q report that promised such a satisfactory
result the owners were convinced the idea
was feasible and profitable. The money
was found working plans were got ready
and operations were begun. That was
months ago.
TO casual observers the great heap which
marks the site of the Storey house Is 10
confusion. But IL isn't. All of the stones
have been classified and set apart care
fully though the division lines are so mar
row that all appear as part OF mass.
When window ledge or coping or a sup
porting pillar is wanted the worlSmen know
iOst AT the 80 side of the f heap Of stone IS
broad. solid pile OF brick. This Is used
70 build the walls Of the new houses There
Mr. Storey's house cost between 100000
and 0OOO." said Mr.. Christian. I'VE SOLD
600 tons OF iron beams and girders. The
other material taken out is worth at least
10000 II would have cost us twice as
much had we bought il at first hands and
hauled IL there. Vermont marble Is pref
~ expensive stone.
Estimating five persons az constituting
the average family, the fifty houses, when
finished. will thus afford ZONES for 25C
souls, without counting the number that
may be domiciled in the fats. The storey
house big as IL was, could not have rur-
nished quarters for half the number. Inc
value Of the entire Improvement, when fully
completed. Will be probably $tO0.0O0."