Up on the Roof of the Edgewater Beach Hotel During Demolition

Thanks to Thomas Ward for sending in these great shots of the demolition of the Edgewater Beach Hotel, which took place in 1970. Tom grew up in Andersonville and went to Trumbull and Amundsen schools.

According to Thomas, "The demolition occurred very slowly, allowing us adventurous types to roam around inside. My first trip inside was at night, making our way over debris to the lobby area where we had to cross to a stairwell on the east side of the building. A climb to the top and to the center (for lack of a better description) balcony for the view of a lifetime. The braver ones, not I, climbed the mast. I returned several times over that summer, bringing my Instamatic camera with. And as the summer progressed, more of the building came down, making the climb more and more dangerous. Near the end, a lot of other adventurers vandalized the interior. There were initials spray painted on that center exterior that were photographed and put in the neighborhood paper. I've tried to find that picture for a long time and have had no luck."

Jim Russ, Pat Gallagher and Pat Ward on the East roof. When asked if it was okay to name names, Tom replied, "The statue of limitations is over."

From that center balcony looking southeast.  The Foster Ave. underpass of Lake Shore Drive is near center with the Foster Beach house to the left, packed parking lot and Montrose Beach in the distance.

Tom further writes, "My earliest memory is being walked across Foster at Sheridan at night time and seeing the red light on the top of the mast at EBH.  On one of the night excursions, one of the guys got that light bulb and brought it down.  I think he still has it.  Like I said, climbing the mast wasn't in me."

Thanks again, Tom, for sharing these!

If any of you have images or memories of Uptown and Edgewater that you'd like to share, send them in! We'd love to post them.