Unless otherwise indicated, all photos and text are copyrighted

      Located in the West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago was the Nor town Theater.  It stood at 6320 North Western Avenue.  It was built for Publix, Balaban and Katz Group in 1930.The architect was J.E.O.Pridmore.  It originally had one screen and a capacity of 2,086 seats.

     The interior was decorated in a marine motif.  There were mermaids, seahorses, and zodiac signs.  The ceiling featured a representation of the April constellation.  An astronomy professor from the Armour Institute was consulted to produce an accurate representation.

     Noted film critic Gene Siskel was a frequent attended at the theater as a youth.

     In the later years, the Plitt Theater Group acquired the theater.  In the mid 1980’s, they converted the Nortown to 3 screens.  Ownership then converted to Cineplex Odeon.  Unfortunately, this company painted over the interior of the theater including the murals.

   The Nortown closed as a movie theater in 1990. It was used as community center and a church.  Prior to its demolition, the interior decorative plaster fixtures were removed and sold.  The marquee was removed. Eventually, the theater was demolished in 2007.

     Amrit  Patel, a local business entrepreneur, wanted to build a multistory condominium at the site of the demolished theater.  The building was also to have two small theaters featuring Indian  and Pakistani films.   Due to many factors, the project never materialized.  Eventually, a Wendy’s fast food restaurant was built at the site.

     The Krause Music Store was located at 4611 North Lincoln Avenue.  It was commissioned in 1921 by William Krause to serve as a residence and a music store.  The total cost was $22,000.

     Mr. Krause chose his neighbor William Presto as the architect.  Presto had served in the past as a draftsman for Louis Sullivan.   He had asked Sullivan to design the building’s green terra cotta facade.  At this time, Sullivan was in ill health and was insolvent.  Likely for these reasons he accepted the commission.

     Sullivan designed an elaborate terra cotta facade.  It consisted  of detailed curvilinear and geometric forms.  Material for the project was supplied by the American Terra Cotta Company.

     The building opened in 1922.  It sold piano and sheet music.  It also sold radios. During the Depression, Mr. Krause committed suicide in the second floor family apartment.

     His widow rented and then sold the building to a funeral home.  For many years it functioned in this capacity.  During this time, the building was neglected, the terra cotta facade was acid washed and lightened

     In September, 1977, the facade was designated as a Chicago Landmark.  During the ensuing years, there were many owners.

      In 1990, Scott Elliott opened Kemscott Galleries.  He restored the front.  At the turn of the century, a gift shop called Museum of Decorative Art occupied the space.  In May, 2005, Pooja and Peter Vukosavich purchased the building.  They restored the Sullivan Facade.  They renovated the main floor for their company Study V Design.  

     In 2006, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Post written on June 2, 2018

     The Thomas Jefferson Pumping Station at 2250 W. Eastwood in Chicago became operational in 1928.  The architect was Argyle Robinson. It features elegant brick work and terra cotta detail.

     It is one of the 12 pumping stations scattered across the Chicago.   area.  These stations take water drawn from Lake Michigan and pressurize it after it has been purified. This is how water is transported through the grid of water mains.

Written 6/2/2018

     The Davis Theater opened in 1918 as the Pershing Theater.  At one time, there were multiple theaters in the Lincoln Square Neighborhood.  The Davis is the last of these.  The architect was Walter Ahlschlager.  His other projects included Uptown Broadway Building in Chicago and the Roxy Theater in New York.

     For the first several years, it operated a a silent film venue.  In 1930’s, it was converted to a talkie movie venue and its named was changed to the Davis.

     Starting in 1950’s, the Davis began showing American and German films.  Later, it converted a German only venue.  In the 1970’s, the Davis provided a venue for a variety of entertainment forms–puppet show, second run films, and revivals.  A proposal to renovate the Davis was floated in the late 1970’s.  Unfortunately, this did not materialize. 

     In the late 1990’s, the Davis was put up for sale.  It was sold to Jim Jeager.  He was a real estate developer.  It was his plan to demolish the theater and use the site for housing.    A Save the Davis Movement was successful in stopping the demolition.  In 1999, the theater was acquired by a non for profit named Davis Theater Preservation Corp.  The theater was sold in 2000 to  Special Real Estate Service.  The Davis began showing first run films.  It has 4 screens.

     The current operator is Value Theater Corporation.

Text posted 6/1/2018

At 6610 North Sheridan Road in Rogers Park, at one time there stood a theater that was known as the North Shore.    It opened  in 1912.  It was two stories and had one screen.  The capacity was 446 seats.    The owner was North Shore Amusement Company.    The architects were Cornelius Ward Rapp and George Leslie Rapp.      By 1927, the theater was no longer.  The site was being used by a retail establishment.    In 1966, the building was demolished and replaced with an apartment building.

Unless otherwise indicated,all photos and text are copyrighted.