On the corner of 112th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, across the street from the HPF Pullman Exhibit Hall, is the Pullman Stables.
Architectural historians have characterized the building styles in Pullman as eclectic yet cohesive. Solon Beman was influenced by various architectural trends of the Victorian period including Queen Anne and Richardsonian Romanesque. The use of bricks, gables, fish-scale shingles, and other features helped to tie everything together; the stables building is a really good example of the town’s design language. The carved wooden horse heads flanking the grand arched entrance are a beloved feature.
The Pullman Company required that all horses and carriages be kept here. George Pullman wanted a tidy, odor-free town; residents, for example, could not own chickens or pigs. The location of the facility kept clean-up tasks to a minimum. At the turn of the century, a popular Sunday afternoon activity was to rent a carriage and team to tour the countryside and enjoy a family picnic.
In the 1970s, the building was used as a gas station and auto repair shop. Now it is privately owned and houses a nonprofit organization.
