Chicago has a handful of salvage specialists who cater to the design trades and retail customers seeking an unusual architectural piece for their homes. This one is the best and is well worth seeking out at its location next to the Metra train line in the far-northwest corner of the city's Lakeview neighborhood. Its brightly lit, well-organized, cavernous showroom features everything from original mantels and garden ornaments to vintage bathroom hardware and American and French Art Deco lighting fixtures. The store also has a museum on the lower level to display portions of historically significant buildings.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Chicago 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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