Greystone (architecture)

As the name suggests, the buildings are typically grey in color and were most often built with Bedford Limestone quarried from South Central Indiana.

[2] The term "greystone" is also used to refer to buildings in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (known in French as pierre grise).

[3] The building style first began to appear in the 1890s, initially in neighborhoods like Woodlawn and then North Lawndale, and Lake View,[2] and continued through 1930s with two major approaches in design.

[4] This initial style and the choice of grey limestone occurred as the city rebuilt and grew in economic power after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, though the buildings were designed for a wide range of socioeconomic classes.

[2] The second style was predominately built in a Neoclassical design incorporating smoother limestone blocks featuring columns and bay windows.