This distinctive red brick structure was built as a 45,000 sq ft family home for shoe manufacturer Joseph E. Tilt in 1914. The mansion originally had 14 bedrooms, 17 fireplaces, a library, ballroom, billiards room, wine cellar and gym. The Salvation Army purchased the property in 1920 to house cadets in training. For Joseph this building ment to represent his status of being millionaire shoe manufacturer in entire Chicago land. I personally would place this building into short list of the most beautiful architectural masterpieces of Chicago. The reason of writing this blog is of course the most fascinating marble floor lobby this mansion has that we ever seen considering the age, marble selection, installation methodology and of course the design. We were fortunate to get invited to give an estimate last April. Later we have learned that there were three companies before us that tryed to diamond polish the marble floor but all of them basked off and claimed that the marble could not be polished and suggested applying high gloss finish coating instead. But let us take you back and describe the characteristics and conditions of the lobby floor.
