Old-fashioned tin ceilings were like a magnet that drew people irresistibly to the exhibition space of Architectural Distributors Inc. at last year`s Hyde Park House and Garden Show.
At least that`s how Michael Hoerl saw it. He`s president of the Chicago-based company that carries architectural ornamentation like crown moldings, ceiling medallions, columns and tin ceilings.
”I could see (people) coming from across the hall,” said Hoerl.
”People were mesmerized. They said they had the exact same pattern (of tin ceiling) in their homes and now they saw that they could match it.”
Finally finding an item like a tin ceiling you thought had gone the way of the dinosaur, or a service that you never knew existed, such as a company that restores claw-footed porcelain bathtubs, is the main reason that lovers of old homes and devoted preservationists attend the Hyde Park House and Garden Show.
The show, scheduled this year for March 7 and 8 on the University of Chicago campus, is billed as one-stop shopping for the rehabber. It is presented by the Hyde Park-Kenwood Development Corp.
”You can go to another show and see 100 vendors of Formica kitchen countertops. But only here will you find a craftsman who makes hand-blown glass door knobs,” said Anne Clary, associate director of community promotion for the corporation.
The corporation has put on the show for the last seven years to increase appreciation of the Hyde Park-Kenwood community and its rich architectural landscape, including such historic treasures as the M.C. Armour House, a restored Victorian stick-style frame house that`s been dubbed this year`s
”Hyde Park House.”
”We promote the community,” said Joel T. Werth, executive director of the corporation. ”We want to enhance the retail mix and stabilize the residential areas.”
He noted that about half of the attendees at the show do not live in the area. Visitors from near and far are drawn by the prospect of finding unusual artisans and products.
Among the approximately 100 exhibitors will be a decorative painter who does rag rolling and faux finishes, an artisan who restores leaded and stained glass, a roofer specializing in old-fashioned copper roofs, a craftsman who restores antique woodwork, and manufacturers of such hard-to-find
architectural artifacts as mantels and porch spindles.
There will be free workshops on such topics as how to deal with home inspections, determining what an old house originally looked like and how to obtain financing for repairs and renovations.
Also, contractors who provide modern-day services-from energy and security systems to roofing, plumbing and heating-will be on hand to dispense advice.
What is new at this year`s show is an expanded emphasis on gardening, said Clary.
”We wanted to cover everything from urban gardening to the basics. People can come and say, `Why does my azalea die each year?` ” Clary said.
They can also learn about Prairie-style or other period gardens from Dean Sheaffer, a landscape architect from Dixon, Ill.
”The Prairie spirit is very relevant for today,” said Sheaffer. ”It`s a romantic style that is closely related to naturalism in design.”
In contrast, ”the Victorian style is to have a collection of plants in the yard. They wanted to have exotic plants, many of which were not appropriate to the area,” said Sheaffer.
Architectural bus tours, including such gems as the Armour House, Frank Lloyd Wright homes and other significant structures, will be offered at 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. each day, said Clary. The tours will last 1 1/2 hours each and cost $5.
The Hyde Park House and Garden Show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 7 and 8 at the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, 969 E. 60th St. Tickets are $5; group rates are also available. For more information, call 312-667-3932.
