For immediate release: (3/28/98)
Contact: Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition, Steve Balkin, 773-549-2545
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is about to demolish six historically important buildings in the old Maxwell Street area. UIC claims these buildings are not significant. The Maxwell Street Historic Coalition challenges this claim as baseless; it is a deceitful action in order to impede the creation of a Maxwell Street Historic District.
The buildings UIC seeks to quickly demolish are: 721 W. Maxwell, 720-24 W. Maxwell, 73337 W. Maxwell St., 132533 S. Halsted St./73943 W. Maxwell St., 133537 S. Halsted St., and 1305-09 S. Halsted St..
At the bottom of this press release are descriptions of these buildings that attest to their significance and historical importance; and links to letters from the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Why are these buildings targeted for demolition at this time?
These buildings are at the core of a proposed Maxwell Street National Historic District which has been building support from around the world. Luminaries such as Bo Diddley, Charlie Musslewhite, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, New York Times columnist Ira Berkow, actor Dan Aykroyd, Congressman Danny K. Davis, Congressman Bobby L. Rush, Congressman John Conyers Jr., City of Chicago Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg, and William Ferris, head of the National Endowment for the Humanities, all support such a historic district. These letters of support along with hundreds of others are available to be read on the Internet at http://www.openair.org/maxwell/preserve.html
If these buildings are demolished, it then becomes extremely difficult for a Maxwell Street Historic District to be created. It becomes difficult to continue to seek support from around the world for a Maxwell Street Historic District if there is nothing or little left on Maxwell Street.
Right now about 80% of the buildings of the remnants of old Maxwell Street remain. Says Bill Lavicka, a structural engineer, and Coalition member, "These buildings are suitable for rehabilitation. These buildings were built to last. People do it all the time in the city. Private developers can make money rehabbing old buildings like these. Only the City of Chicago and the UIC tear town buildings like these when they can be rehabbed and reused. To the extent these buildings are in disrepair, it is because of the way UIC has treated them, kicking out tenants, leaving them vacant, and not boarding them up."
The Coalition feels the recent arsons on Maxwell Street are especially suspicious in its timing to UIC's desire to demolish.
With the exception of 721 W. Maxwell, these buildings are large, 2-4 story, multiple storefront, commercial buildings that, when razed, will leave gaping holes in the built fabric of the neighborhood, and will eradicate one more "anchoring" corner at the intersection of Halsted/Maxwell. Nothing could alter and harm the complexion of the neighborhood more than the latter. See letters from the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois and the National Trust for Historic Preservation as to why this neighborhood is important to save.
721 W. Maxwell St. - Shah's Variety Store
Although the front facade of this two story building is brick, this is actually a frame building which likely dates to pre-fire Chicago, c. 1860s or early 1870s. The two story frame structure is shown on Robinson's 1886 Atlas of Chicago, which is the earliest buildingoutline map of the area. In 1910, the building's owner D. Steinberg hired architect, J.T. Fortin to design a two story brick front addition to the frame building. The first story was likely converted to commercial use at that time. The building has a flat roof, and simple brick front facade with a limestone belt course at the sill level of the second story windows. There is a band of decorative brickwork on the otherwise plain parapet.
This building relates to the area's social history, and is likely to be one of the worker's type cottages initially built in the area to accommodate the influx of immigrant populations via the nearby train lines. The original frame building can clearly be seen at the east facade. Its conversion to mixed - residential and commercial use, i.e., a storefront with living quarters in the rear of upper floors, became the norm on Maxwell Street where the "ghetto" class could operate a livelihood out of their residence.
720724 W. Maxwell St.
This building is one of the few remaining examples of the historic manufacturing facilities in the neighborhood. The four story brick utilitarian factory building relates to the area's social history within the conveyance of its historic form and character.
In 1899, the owner of a bakery at what is now 723 W. O'Brien St., David F. Bremner hired architect T.H. Mulloy to construct a much larger facility. What had been the Bremner Bakery became the American Biscuit Company, and by 1899, it became part of the National Biscuit Company. The construction project included a five story factory/warehouse at 72024 W. Maxwell St. Bremner, a Civil War hero, was the president of the American Biscuit Company and became manager of the manufacturing department and a member of the Board of Directors when it became part of the National Biscuit Company (NABISCO). Bremner was also listed as the owner of the New York Life Building (now 39 S. La Salle St.) in 1899. This building is shown owned by NABISCO in 1914 on the Sanborn Fire Insurance map, as a large barn to accommodate delivery wagons and horses. It shared an address on 13th St. and its grand size directly indicates the scale of business activity being conducted by NABISCO at that time.
In 1919, then owner of the 70024 building F.H. Rosen hired the building's original architect, to make alterations to the building. One story was probably removed as part of this project. In the late 1930s, the building also served as headquarters for the Maxwell Street Merchants Association. This association sought to improve and standardize the marketability of Maxwell Street, i.e., standardized garbage pick-up and features such as striped awnings on storefronts, street sheds, etc. Mages Sportswear was also manufactured in this building for a period of time.
73337 W. Maxwell St. - R&G Fashion Shoes, Rand Discount, Johnny Dollar (vacant) -
This two story brick commercial building was designed by Merritt J. Morehouse and constructed for L. Klein in 1920. Morehouse, who had practiced architecture in Chicago since 1895 was trained at the University of Illinois and in Paris. The attractive primary facade that he created for this building is suggestive of Art Deco, though the style did not fully emerge in Chicago until several years later. The facade is clad with cream colored terra cotta square tiles. It has a flat roof, and a flaired terra cotta band serves as a simple frieze, flush with the roof line. Historic photographs reveal that each of the three openings has a set of triple windows known as the "Chicago window". It housed three storefronts, and, in the 1940s, straight display windows were created on an angle from the three storefront doors, to accommodate the shopper's view of more merchandise in the store windows. The building housed Gable's Clothing Store which was a well-known department store in the area.
The building reflects the commercial growth of the area in the early 1920s. In its location on Maxwell Street near to Halsted St., which had Kresge's and Woolworth chains around the corner, the building design shows the investment made by merchants in the context of the competitive business world. At that time, the Maxwell/Halsted/Roosevelt shopping area was rated third in sales in the City of Chicago.
132533 S. Halsted St./73943 W. Maxwell St. - Mr. Leonard's Clothing
This two story building was designed by Theodore Duesing as a department store for owner F. Zuttermeister in 1899. Located on the southeast corner of S. Halsted St. and W. Maxwell, the building has a flat roof and two primary facades that front Maxwell Street on the north and Halsted St. on the west. It could be characterized as a "Two Part Commercial Block" structure, and accommodated multiple storefront businesses. In 1925 and 1934, the storefronts were updated and the Halsted Street entrance retains its ceramic tile vestibule floor and wooden double door. The storefront at 1333 S. Halsted was updated in the 1950s and has angular display window cases and a ceramic tile floor. As this building was a department store, it relates to the area's social history and its type of moderate alterations express its commercial viability. The building conveys its historic form, character and details. Gene and Joe Silverburg, owners of Bigsby and Kruthers in Chicago, worked in one of the Maxwell Street storefronts (for another business) and learned how to drive a "hard sale" here.
The building is solely commercial building and extravagant in its materials as it was built at Halsted St. soley for commercial purposes, and not as a mixed-use buildings as most others on Maxwell Street. This shows a fixed emphasis on the Maxwell Street area as a viable commercial area. Maxwell Street, flanked by street stands, was the open-air, bartering-style shopping, whereas Halsted St. was the more upscale shopping.
133537 S. Halsted St. - SK Mart, Peddler Sport Big Barn, Kresge
This two story brick building was constructed by the S.S. Kresge Company as a store and offices in 1926. A Classical Revival style building with a flat roof, it is composed of warm brown brick and limestone details. A flat, limestone frieze is incised with the Kresge name above the center window, and its facade has carved classical urns in bas relief. The interior of this building is rather elegant with the original offices paneled in wainscoating, and containing a main wooden staircase with carved wooden banisters. Both of the building's identical two storefronts were updated in 1938, and the 1335 S. Halsted additionally retains its double wooden doors. These are Arcaded store fronts with deeply recessed vestibules and display windows that have a geometric zigzag configuration. They both have porcelain enamel bulkheads and terrazzo flooring with three stripes leading to the store's doorway.
The arcaded storefront was a design used to draw the shopping into the store, and is indicative of the late 1930's and early 1940's commercial design. The Kresge building has good integrity and reflects the trend of chain stores opening in the area which included national chains such as the Woolworth store one block north on Halsted, in the 1920s.
130509 S. Halsted St.
This three story brick building was designed by Alexander L. Levy and constructed in 1907. Its owner, I. Epstein was listed as residing at what is now 122628 S. Halsted St. and he may have owned that building during the period as well. At the turn of the century, S. Halsted St. in this area was quite residential as it became largely commercial after the Maxwell Street Market was formally established by the City in 1912, which drew business to the area. Consisting of a store and flats, the building has a flat roof and its S. Halsted St. facade is now covered in metal siding. The 1307 S. Halsted St. store has a tile vestibule floor that has the Goldenberg Furniture store name in the entranceway, showing the scale and variety of businesses on S. Halsted St. near Maxwell St. in the building's lifetime.
Alexander Levy's importance to the Jewish community is noted in a lengthy individual entry in The History of the the Jews of Chicago (Meites, 1924, 394). He designed numerous buildings, particularily for the congregations of Chicago synagogues which include the notable Ad Beth Hamedrash Anshe Dorum Synagogue and Temple Anshe Sholom.
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