rare 1887-88 original john wellborn root-designed terra cotta window header salvaged from chicago's rookery building

the bld. 51 museum and archive recently obtained original, historically significant terra cotta panels and fragments from burnham and root's 1887 rookery building facade in downtown chicago, recovered during repairs performed over the last few decades. like many 19th- and early 20th-century terra cotta-clad commercial buildings, the rookery requires regular evaluation to ensure its facade remains stable amid changing weather and freeze/thaw cycles.

the reddish-brown terra cotta ornament (designed by john wellborn root), was fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company, chicago, il. the pieces acquired by the bld. 51 museum are original from 1887, when the terra cotta facade was built, and their locations were promptly identified and documented with photographs.