So I've lived in Edgewater all of my life in the area around Clark Street and Peterson. When I first knew the building at 6001 N. Broadway, it was home to Midwest Carpet. It had large aluminum "awnings" covering the upper floor of the building so it was impossible to figure out what the place was historically.From the visible part of the structure and it's location, I always assumed it had been some sort of factory or warehouse. In the 1980's the place became home to Hancock Fabrics but the aluminum awnings remained. Here's a photo:



In recent months, the place closed down and the neighborhood association reported that it was about to be transformed into an LA Fitness Center. It seemed that I would finally get a look at the totality of the building during the transformation. Lo and behold, a couple of months ago the awnings started coming off. The first thing to be revealed was an old Midwest Carpet billboard on the south side of the building telling potential customers that their product was endorsed by Mal Bellairs of WIVS Radio, (apparently a local radio personality who was a spokesman for Midwest).Within a week, the awnings came off the front of the building uncovering a large cast stone medallion on the top. I had to get close to the thing in order to read the lettering: "Studebaker". A little research showed that Studebaker had built the place as a showroom in the 1920's. Here's some photos:





I remembered someone around here once saying that car dealers of yore depended on opulent showrooms to push their models. It was in a discussion about the building that housed the Broadway Bank (now mb) just down the street at 5960 North Broadway. I forgot which car manufacturer they said it belonged to (anyone remember the conversation?) but I took the opportunity to grab a photo of it as well:





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/2013 02:22AM by Mornac.

Wow, great find and photos!

Wonder if LA Fitness will keep the look of the original building. Hope so.

daveg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wonder if LA Fitness will keep the look of the
> original building. Hope so.

--Well...um...actually:

Mornac Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> daveg Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wonder if LA Fitness will keep the look of the
> > original building. Hope so.
>
> --Well...um...actually:
>

Wasn't aware that the LA Fitness facility was completed in their motif style. Oh well, at least your photos and story will be preserved.

Mornac Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> daveg Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wonder if LA Fitness will keep the look of the
> > original building. Hope so.
>
> --Well...um...actually:
>
> http://assets.dnainfo.com/generated/chicago_photo/
> 2013/02/la-fitness-edgewater-1360349979.jpg/image6
> 40x480.jpg


Yuk!

Back in the day, men were proud enough of their buildings that they chiseled their names in stone on the front of them.

Nowadays we sell the naming right to our ballparks and buildings to the first nitwit with enough money. And they just glue their name on, because they might have unload the rights on some other sucker.

Passed the building today...it looks like they wisely decided to keep the look of the original building and replaced some missing stone in the process!

The artist's conception is too trendy, and will be "out" with next generation of yuppies. If they keep original, it will be more timeless.

WayOutWardell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Passed the building today...it looks like they
> wisely decided to keep the look of the original
> building and replaced some missing stone in the
> process!


--Yeah, i noticed that too. I catch the bus across the street from there some mornings and I've been keeping an eye on it. It looks like the original stone was hacked off to make room for whatever the substructure was that held up the aluminum. The new stuff doesn't exactly blend with the old, but it is decorative and it's far better than having whatever they had originally planned. I'll try to get another pic of the progress.

Always wondered what was beneath that mansard. Looks quite nice. And glad it's being saved.

That building (6101 Broadway,Hancock Fabrics) was built in 1921 according to city records.

Also the parking lot just to the north, 6115 broadway was a Desoto Dealer at one time. The name was Norman C. Towne Inc. I couldn't any info on what year it existed.

5960 North Broadway was Riviera Motor Sales built 1925-26. Here is more info on this building.

http://www.cityofchicago.org/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/Riviera_Motor_Sales_Co_Building.pdf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2013 09:29PM by rjmachon.

If you look carefully at the carving that is pictured in this post, you will see the name Studebaker, a major manufacturer of automobiles from South Bend Indiana from the early 1900s until it went out of business in the 1950s.

Yes I know that. I was talking about the parking lot just north of the building with the Studebaker name on it that was a Desoto Dealer at one time.

Here is a list of Desoto Dealers around the country.

http://www.desoto.org/Desoto%20Dealer%20List.pdf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2013 09:38PM by rjmachon.

Studebaker closed its South Bend plant in 1963, and then completely shut down car business in 1966. Only remnant of the old company still around is STP Auto Products.

Studebaker never went out of business, it simply shut down its money losing automotive division in March of 1966 to focus on more profitable lines of business it acquired starting in the late 1950s. In December of 1963 Studebaker closed its antiquated, main South Bend vehicle plant and consolidated auto production at its smaller and newer Hamilton, Ontario plant which as noted closed in 1966.

Studebaker's portfolio of acquired companies included Gravely lawn mowers, Clarke janitorial floor cleaning equipment, Paxton automotive accessories, and STP fuel additives among others.

Studebaker merged with Wagner Electric and then Worthington in the 1960s to become the Studebaker-Worthington Corporation, a diversified holding company. Headquarters moved from South Bend to New York. The Studebaker corporate successor and name finally disappeared when Studebaker-Worthington was acquired by McGraw-Edison in 1979. Studebaker's DNA lives on today in Federal Mogul which acquired the automotive products of Cooper Industries. Cooper Industries earlier acquired McGraw-Edison.

AM General ultimately took over Studebaker's postal vehicle business which continued for decades at the former Studebaker Chippewa Avenue plant in South Bend.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2014 12:53AM by TomBurke.

Weren't they also the Mercedes importer for a time?

davey7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Weren't they also the Mercedes importer for a
> time?


Yes, Studebaker was the distributor for Mercedes in the post-war period. The new 1959 Studebaker Lark compact car was strongly influenced by Mercedes with its upright grill and overall front end appearance. The early Lark's sales success saved Studebaker and bought it time for its diversification effort to pay off.

The partnership was dissolved with the result that Mercedes wound up having to pay Studebaker to terminate the contract-an important infusion of cash at the time for Studebaker. Some Studebaker dealers converted to Mercedes eventually.