Brick by Brick: A Historic Masonry and Exclusive Tour of Brighton Park with Will Quam

The Historic Resources Knowledge Community (HRKC) invites you to step behind the brick and uncover the stories, materials, and craftsmanship that built Chicago. Join HRKC for a guided tour through Brighton Park’s historic masonry landscape, where participants will explore the neighborhood’s architectural heritage while examining traditional brickmaking, historic mortar composition, and the preservation challenges facing the city’s iconic masonry buildings. Along the route, you’ll learn how compatible repair materials help maintain the long-term performance and integrity of historic structures.

The program concludes at Bricks Incorporated with a presentation by Will Quam, featuring his recent book, Fire & Clay: How Bricks Reveal the Hidden History of Chicago. Drawing from the book’s exploration of Chicago’s industrial, social, and architectural history through the lens of its bricks, the discussion will connect the city’s material heritage to contemporary preservation practice while highlighting practical approaches to masonry conservation.

Speaker:

Will Quam is an author, architecture photographer, and historian whose work focuses on Chicago’s architectural heritage and historic masonry. His book, Fire & Clay: How Bricks Reveal the Hidden History of Chicago, explores the history of brickmaking and the evolution of Chicago’s built environment, highlighting the craftsmanship and preservation of historic masonry.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the characteristics of traditional brick and historic mortar used in Chicago’s masonry buildings.
2. Explain how compatible repair materials contribute to the preservation and long-term performance of historic masonry structures.
3. Recognize the impacts of incompatible modern mortars and common masonry preservation challenges.
4. Apply preservation best practices when evaluating and repairing historic masonry buildings.

For AIA Members: AIA Chicago will report your attendance for continuing education credit directly to AIA national. Please ensure your name matches your AIA membership record and your AIA number is correctly entered at the time of registration to receive proper credit. AIA Members cannot self-report courses for AIA CES credit.

For Non-Members: AIA Chicago does not report attendance for non-members. If you would like to request a certificate for proof of participation, please click here.

For Vendor Education Program Attendees (AIA Member and Non-Member): The hosting Vendor will report your attendance for continuing education credit directly to AIA national. Please ensure your name matches your AIA membership record and your AIA number is correctly entered at the time of registration to receive proper credit. To ensure accuracy, please request a certificate of completion from the Vendor.