Street Buried Under Building

[FIREhat]

They're putting in a Spec's where the Linens 'N' Things went under at Weslayan and Bissonnet. This article says when they were doing the reno work they found a whole street under the floor complete with curbs. I don't know how something like that can happen because I can't imagine that building was built without grading and a slab. Anyone have any ideas? Whatever the explanation is I decided to pull some old maps and check out Historic Aerials to see what the street might be.

By HistoricAerials I see that that building was built somewhere between 1964 and 1973 but in the 1957 shot you can see a road running parallel to Law Street but it isn't so well defined. It terminates at the north end in what looks like an incomplete intersection at Weslayan. This map from 1955 shows that Albans used to run parallel to Law all the way across Weslayan to curving down to Bissonnet. I guess Albans was cut off east of Academy sometime between 1955 and 1957 when they started clearing for the shopping center that now houses Randall's and Petco.

[isuredid]

They're putting in a Spec's where the Linens 'N' Things went under at Weslayan and Bissonnet. This article says when they were doing the reno work they found a whole street under the floor complete with curbs. I don't know how something like that can happen because I can't imagine that building was built without grading and a slab. Anyone have any ideas? Whatever the explanation is I decided to pull some old maps and check out Historic Aerials to see what the street might be.

By HistoricAerials I see that that building was built somewhere between 1964 and 1973 but in the 1957 shot you can see a road running parallel to Law Street but it isn't so well defined. It terminates at the north end in what looks like an incomplete intersection at Weslayan. This map from 1955 shows that Albans used to run parallel to Law all the way across Weslayan to curving down to Bissonnet. I guess Albans was cut off east of Academy sometime between 1955 and 1957 when they started clearing for the shopping center that now houses Randall's and Petco.

That area was the County Poor Farm at one time, so maybe the road is left over from that era

[NenaE]

The Sanborn maps (vol.11) show that Law St. was platted with house lots on the north side of it. But looks like there weren't any residences on it, houses end on Albans, the street to the north, seen in the aerial maps. Guess the owners didn't sell that many houses, ot just decided to go commercial. Would have thought they would get rid of the street, when building another structure.

[sevfiv]

Yep, Albans was platted for residential but on the first map it looks like the commercial Reserves A and B were to be extended. The second map says to see the 1950 revised map, and the third is the resubbed 1950 map:

[NenaE]

Interesting. Used to go to Skeeter's, right there. For snacks and a "refreshment" or two.

[jb4647]

Now this is quite fascinating! I currently live in the condos now located in the area labeled “5” which is boarded by Academy/Weslayan/Purdue/Drake.