1750 Madison: Then and Now

The Madison Professional Building, located at 1750 Madison, is the tallest building on the street east of Cleveland.  Sheathed in white marble with very narrow windows on each floor, the building has a rather severe look to it.  This is in stark contrast to its one- and two-story neighbors which were largely built in the 20s.  But, as this post demonstrates, it wasn't always that way...

This photo reveals what used to be the tallest building on Madison east of Cleveland, the old Bellsouth Building (located behind the billboard).

For most of the 20th century, this building graced the northwest corner of Madison and Auburndale.  According to its pediment, it was constructed in 1910 for a D.C. Brignole.  This photograph from 1940 shows it housed the Silver Liquor Store and a small adjoining building housed the Idlewild Cafe.  Note the concrete obelisk street sign at the corner.

This floorplan shows a proposal filed with the Board of Adjustment in 1940 to convert the upper story apartment at the building into four smaller apartments (three of the them being efficiencies).