TOUR № 1 - WEST TOWN

Our first walking tour started promptly at 11 am, Sunday June 27. We began at the Ashland/Lake "L" station and zig-zagged our way north to the Schlitz tied house at Division and Wood. Thirteen people came along, one of whom, Christopher Arnold, took some digital photos, of which this page is comprised. Not everything is included, but this page should provide a good summary for those not in attendance.

The overarching theme of the tour is the inter-relationship and scale of housing, industry, and commerce in the pre-automobile and pre-zoning era. We focused especially on industrial structures and public/quasi-public places. An entirely different tour could have been conducted along the same route concentrating on residential and ecclesiastical architecture, and/or many other things. West Town is layered and dense.

Starting at the beginning...



Lake street west from Ashland. While we were pointing out that the Lake/Ashland 'L' station is one of two remaining Queen Anne style stations dating back to 1893, when the line was constructed, Christopher noticed an interesting item in one of the support pillars. Something those in the literary world would term, "foreshadowing."




School crossing? Wait, there's a school around here? Not exactly...Emerson School, named for the famous poet, was located half a block away on the northwest corner of Paulina and Walnut until it was razed in the early 1970s. The sign, somehow, is still there.





Fascination Candy company moved out of this facility in 1936. They relocated to a larger factory around Division and Wood, which we also saw on this tour.




This bridge to nowhere dates back to 1895. It served the Metropolitan L's Logan Square branch until the line was re-routed via the then-new Milwaukee Avenue subway in 1951. With the Kenwood branch, it is one of the most prominent 'L' remnants in the city. Spanning Chicago & Northwestern (now Union Pacific) tracks, it is currently in use as a signal mount.




A simple Commonwealth Edison sub-station with high-style architectural treatment. A number of these are scattered throughout the city, some, like this one, still serving their original purpose, and some which have been converted to other uses. This is a particularly good example, as it has an intact plaque on the front. Designed by Von Holst and Fyfe in 1919, it is one of a somewhat rare breed in Chicago in that Pewabic tile, more common in Detroit and Toledo, is used on the facade as ornament.

Interestingly, Von Holst also designed retail stores for another private utility company; the People's Gas, Light and Coke company. Though George Elmslie's PGLC building at Six Corners is more perhaps more well known, a Von Holst design on Milwaukee avenue in Wicker Park was recently uncovered.




The artistes who currently inhabit this, the oldest fire station in the city, got the date wrong, but only by a year. It was built in 1873, not 74 as the sign over the door indicates. And in the spirit of nitpicking, this is an excellent renovation, except for those odd inset planters near the windows.




I think some were amused when I described tied houses as "vertically integrated marketing schemes." Although the "owners" of these establishments were basically indentured servants, one must remember that these places once held an important social function. They were meeting places for all sorts, often placed at the confluence of residential and industrial areas in the pre-automobile era, dense, centralized walking city.




Left: This small frame factory received a facade-lift sometime in the 1920s, and the excellent type design has remained to this day. West Town features many small light industrial buildings like this one.

Right: Since it came up on the tour, I'll mention it here. This is an excellent example of the difference between face brick (left) and common brick (right). If you come across a building that looks like it was built in 1885 but is clean as a whistle, check a side. If it has concrete blocks a couple feet back, rather than common brick, it is either new or has been gut-renovated.

Yes yes, I get it, Damen was once named Robey. Moving on...



Above and Below: The 1900 block of Superior is a compendium of residential architectural styles in Chicago, perhaps save for the otherwise ubiquitous bungalow. The block is especially interesting because of the mix of age and scale of the buildings.






This small garage on the middle of a residential street was once used for storing and distributing dairy products. Its size indicates that it served a relatively small area, and it reminds us that in the past, cars, refrigeration, and supermarkets were not ubiquitous. The name also indicates the ethnic character of this area in the mid 1920s, when this garage was built.




One of the most palatial former tied houses in the city, this one was built by the Milwaukee-based Blatz brewery. It stands across the street from a former stove factory.




Duncan, perhaps more well-known for yo-yos, began producing parking meters at this facility in 1937. Their first client was Mexico City - Chicago didn't adopt meters until the 1940s.




One of two small theatres on this stretch of Chicago Avenue, the 400 seat Hub, like many theatres, did not survive long after the home video concept became popular. See the Cinema Treasures entry on the Hub for more information.




Surrounded by elaborately decorated buildings, this unassuming storefront once sat directly under the the Met L. It was built by the Met to make a profit on otherwise unused land. The Chicago Avenue station was located on the north side of the street across from this building, and has long since been demolished.




The first location of Goldblatt's, on Chicago near Ashland. Both designed by Alfred Alschuler, the smaller building at left came first, with the larger one at right the result of expansion. Goldblatt's, a classic Chicago chain department store, once had a presence in most every notably sized shopping district.




Left: Lincoln bath was one of 19 public bathhouses built in densely populated neighborhoods between 1890 and 1920. These were later operated by the Chicago Park Distict, as evinced by the sign above the door. The last bath was closed in 1979, and only four buildings remain to this day, all of which are now private residences.

Right: One of many stained glass address numbers of the pre-Brennan type in West Town. We ended up finding a new one....




Although we planned to walk by one old address, we found another. Old addresses are quite common in areas which were built out by 1910, so it was not surprising. Read more about Old Addresses here.




The tour ended in front of the excellently renovated Schlitz tied house on Division and Wood. However, this place wasn't our style, so we backtracked to the Peter Hand tied house and ended with a participatory demonstration of tavern activity.

Here is a detailed map and corresponding list of what was covered. Feel free to recreate the tour on Google Streetview in the privacy of air-conditioning.

1) Kay Musical Instrument Company. School crossing sign in front of factory for Emerson School.
2) Elevator Company Ghost ad. Fascination Candy #1.
3) Met L Bridge. Com Ed plant.
4) Oswego, tiny street.
5) 1873 Fire Station.
6) Schlitz tied house #1.
7) Frame factory.
8) Robey sign.
9) Superior street.
11) Break
12) Polonia Dairy Garage.
13)Blatz tied house, door to nowhere, M. Brecker Stove Factory, Commercial Club Park.
14) Duncan Meter Building.
15) Chicago carryouts - art deco. Hub Theatre.
16) Store built by Met L.
17) Alvin Theatre Rockstar dog bldg - evidence of street widening. Original Goldblatts. Chicago/Ashland commercial district.
18) Marshfield demolished municipal parking lot and sign.
19) 1960s police station.
20) Lincoln Public Bath, Teaming stable.
21) Peter Hand Tied House.
22) Old address in stained glass.
23) Fascination Candy #2.
24) Schlitz Tied House #2, End.



Page authored 23 August 2008.
Written by Serhii Chrucky.
Photographs by Christopher Arnold.

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