Still making my way through some Clark streetscapes. Back in 2008 and 2009 I put together some information about corner buildings on Clark, between Howard and Devon. The intent was to compile a booklet of drawings, site plans, and history. That project never made it to publication, although I posted most of the drawings and maps that came out of it. So it's satisfying to be able to cannibalize some of the research I did back then.
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| View looking Southeast |
The two story red brick building doesn't have a construction date from the assessor, but based on its ornament I would say c. 1925. The second floor windows have been changed to sliders, but the first floor retains a large open storefront, in contrast to many in the area which have been infilled or reduced in size. Currently this is a tattoo parlor.
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| Site Map |
The yellow brick and stone building was designed by the firm of Loewenberg and Loewenberg, and built at a cost of $75,000 in 1926. This is a bit grander than most of the mixed-use buildings on Clark, and has a nicely detailed broken pediment entry to the apartments above. The facade is flanked by slender stone pilasters, and the rounded corner is emphasized with classical ornament. Loewenberg and Loewenburg designed many neighborhood buildings throughout Chicago, including several synagogues and Hebrew theological colleges in North Lawndale. They also designed the
Broadmoor Hotel in Rogers Park, at 1532 W. Howard. Their successor firm is still active in the area. This building is currently a liquor store, although when I moved to the neighborhood it was one of the last video arcades.
The red brick building on the opposite corner was designed by Benjamin Leo Steif and constructed in 1922 at a cost of $45,000. It also keys to the classical style, but its primary ornament is a stone pediment and brick pilasters at the corner. Steif also designed neighborhood buildings throughout Chicago and the suburbs, but his practice shifted towards large apartment buildings. The digital collection of the Art Institute of Chicago contains a
large amount of his firm's work. There's a taqueria in this storefront at the moment.
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| Northeast and Southeast Corners of Clark and Northshore, 2009 |
It's always a highlight of the day to see your work, particularly because I live near many of the buildings you feature. I notice that when I walk around the neighborhood, your images are often visually layered onto what I see; your drawings have literally gotten into my eyes! -carl good
ReplyDeleteThanks Carl! That's a big compliment.
ReplyDelete1. It's not really the original storefront now, the windows were replaced with aluminum frames several years ago as part of the city's facade replacement program which rebates some of the cost to the owner.
ReplyDelete2. I'm always wondering if a lightning strike will dislodge one of the stone urns on the rooftop balustrade. Such a fancy piece of decoration is extremely rare for a not downtown or major shopping area, neighborhood building