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.

     One of the buildings comprising the Old Chicago Water Tower District is the Chicago Water Tower.   It is one of the most well-known historic sites in Chicago.  It is located at 806 North Michigan Avenue in the Jane Bryne Plaza.  It was built in 1869.  Its style is gothic revival.  Its external walls are made of yellow limestone from Lemont.  Likely this stone was shipped to Chicago along the Illinois Michigan Canal. 

     The architect was William Boyington.  He was a prolific architect being responsible for many projects.  Some of these include the first LaSalle Street Station, new State Capital Bulding in Springfield, the entrance to Rosehill Cemetary,the Hegler Carus Mansion in LaSalle  and the  Joliet Prison.

     The tower is 182 feet high.  Inside was a 138 feet high stand pipe.  This was to hold water mainly for fire fighting.   The pipe was removed in 1911.  The building was remarkable for surviving destruction during the Chicago Fire.

     The foundation consists of 168 piles filled with concrete and covered with 12 inch oak timbers.  Massive stones laid in cement make up the base..  Each of the 40 feet wide sides has a stately doorway and two grand windows.

     During the 1900’s, the building underwent 2 rennovations.  In 1913 to 1916, many of the external limestone blocks were replaced with limestone mined in Joliet.    In 1978, the interior was rennovated.

     One of the buildings comprising the Old Chicago Water Tower District is the Chicago Avenue Pumping Station.  It is located at 821 N. Michigan Avenue.  Like the Water Tower, it was designed by William Boyington in a style known as Castellated Gothic Revival Style..  Its walls were made of limestone mined either in Lemony or Joliet.   Likely the material was shipped from these locations to  Chicago on the Illinois Michigan Canal.

      Built in 1869, the Chicago Pumping Station is a two story building with a low pitched roof and turrets in each of the four corners of the building.  It houses a pump which has the capacity to pump up to 18 million gallons of Lake Michigan water a day.

     One of the three buildings comprising the Old Chicago Water Tower District is is Fire Station 98.  This is the youngest of the buildings dating back to 1904.  It is located at 202 East Chicago Avenue.  It was originally known as Hose Company Number 2.

     It is a 2 story limestone and brick building.  It features turrets and parapets.  The former stable area serves as the kitchen.  The former hay loft on the second floor serves as  a weight room.   Two of the original brass poles are still used.     The architect was C.F. Hermann. He was also the architect for the 36th District Chicago Police Station (1906) and the 20th District Chicago Police Station (1908).