Aftermath of the Fair

While the fair was a great event and changed the lives of so many people, it had to end eventually, and did so on Columbus Day (October 30) of 1893. What happened during the fair was very eventful and interesting, but the resulting effects that came from the fair were very important as well.

The exposition was one influence leading to the rise of the City Beautiful movement. Results included grand buildings and fountains built around Olmstedian parks, shallow pools of water on axis to central buildings, larger park systems, broad boulevards and parkways and, after the turn of the century, zoning laws and planned suburbs. Examples of the City Beautiful movement's works include the City of Chicago, the Columbia University campus, and the National Mall in Washington D.C.

(National Mall)

Since many of the other buildings at the fair were intended to be temporary, they were removed after the fair. The White City so impressed visitors (at least before air pollution began to darken the fa�ades) that plans were considered to refinish the exteriors in marble or some other material. These plans were abandoned in July 1894, when much of the fair grounds was destroyed in a fire.

(Remains of the Court of Honor)

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