2006 Preservation Awards
Ellsworth Block
23 N. Pinckney Street
[photo: Jason Tish]
23 N. Pinckney Street
The Old Fashioned, tenant
Carlos Osorio, owner
Gary Brink, architect
Friede & Associates, contractor
Award: commercial restoration
The Atrium Building at 23 N. Pinckney Street draws its name from an inner court added to the 1871 sandstone Ellsworth Block building when it was first remodeled in 1899. While this alteration focused on the building’s interior, the façade saw major alteration in the decades that followed. By 1977, the façade of property was entirely covered by a metal screen. This was removed by a subsequent owner as part of an exterior renovation.
When Carlos Osorio purchased the property in 1998 it featured a boxy marquee-style awning that reached practically to the bus stop out front. The arched windows were blocked out at the tops and the original cornice had been removed.
When he undertook renovations of the interior for the recently opened restaurant, the Old Fashioned, Osorio decided to also do work on the building’s exterior. Osorio wanted to return the building to its original appearance, and to bring the building back to life instead of settling for superficial changes.
Old photos were used to guide Osorio, architect Gary Brink, and the construction firm of Friede & Associates as they restored the façade and remodeled the interior. The work was extensive, including finding period appropriate windows, repairing panels under the cornices and painting the trim in vibrant colors. The results have brought the building much closer to its original appearance.
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Other 2006 Award Winners
William and Fryetta Burmeister Residence
American Tobacco Company Warehouses
Ellsworth Block
23 N. Pinckney Street
Adolf and Edna Kannenberg Residence
