My husband and I recently returned from a trip to the great city of Chicago. On the trip we enjoyed the variety of architecture the city has to offer during a river tour. While the skyscrapers capture most of the attention, mine was captured by the small bridgetender buildings that make this river city so unique.

Chicago’s bridgetender buildings are small structures located near the city’s movable bridges. The buildings were primarily used at the end of the 1800s and into the early 20th Century. The buildings were used as offices by bridge operators, or tenders, who were responsible for lifting the bridges up for boat traffic during the city’s transportation and commerce heydey.

The 70 bridge houses range in style from Art Deco and Art Moderne to Cape Code and modern streamlined. They are scattered around the Chicago River and it becomes almost a game to find them all.

The bridge houses have not been in use for many decades, but they still remain as part of the city’s history. Several groups are gathering information and funds in order to save them or make use of them as tourist sites.

The Tender House Project is working to restore the buildings and convert them into community-based centers. They have accepted proposals for everything from markets and radio stations to tiny libraries.

The Tender House Project is currently accepting proposals and funding to help save the bridge houses.

Photos and post by Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]