Saturday, January 16, 2010

River North - II

River North is bound by Chicago River in south and west, Michigan Avenue in east and Chicago Avenue in north.
Since there are a lot of interesting buildings in this area, the coverage is in a three part series..
# Part-I.. Buildings along the Chicago River..
# Part-II..
# Part-III.. Cathedral District..

Part-II of the three part series ..
Some significant buildings in the River North area..
  • House of Blues..
  • Chicago Varnish Company Building..
  • Assumption Catholic Church..
  • Assumption School Building..
  • Former] Engine Company 42 Firehouse..
  • Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's..
  • Former Chicago Historical Society Building..
  • Medinah Temple..
  • Tree Studios, Annexes, and Courtyard..
  • Cable House..
  • Nickerson House..
  • John B. Murphy Memorial..
  • The Bush Temple of Music..
  • Pizzeria Uno.. & Pizzerai Duo..

House of Blues..
Designed by James Cafarelli ..
Opened: 1996
Address: 329 N Dearborn,
Chicago, IL 60654..
The House of Blues is located in the Marina City complex on the Chicago River. It is modeled after the "Estavovski" Opera House in Prague..
The House of Blues [HOB] is a chain of music halls and restaurants. It was found by Isaac Tigrett [Hard Rock Cafe founder] and his friend and investor Dan Aykroyd..
It's designer James Cafarelli has built over 250 different restaurants and clubs across the country.

Chicago Varnish Company Building ...
Address: 33 W. Kinzie St.
Year Built: 1895
Architect: Henry Ives Cobb
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: July 25, 2001 ...
The Chicago Varnish Co. Building was built in 1895 for a producer of varnishes for railroad cars, coaches, and interiors.. It's currenly Harry Caray's Resturant ..
# For more.. click here..

Assumption Catholic Church..
Completed: 1886
Address: 323 West Illinois Street,
Chicago, IL 60654..
Assumption was the first church in Chicago specifically commissioned to minister to the growing Italian population..
# For more.. click here..

Assumption School Building..
Address: 319 W. Erie Street
Year Built: 1899
Architect: Frederick L. Foltz
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: July 10, 2003..
The school was founded by Mother Francis Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), the first American to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.
# For more.. click here..

[Former] Engine Company 42 Firehouse..
Completed: 1887..
Architect: Unknown
Location: 228 W. Illinois Avenue, at Franklin Street..
Designated a Chicago landmark on December 12, 2007..
The firehouse was built in 1887, and was initially the home of Engine 42. Since 1968, the building is no longer in use by the Fire Department ..
# For more.. click here..

Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's..
Address: 600 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60610..
Neighborhood: River North..
It is a flagship location..
Formerly known as the "Original Rock 'N Roll McDonald's", which opened in 1983 ..
The new building was redeveloped and reopened on April 15, 2005.. The site has a Rock & Roll exhibit in a building adjacent to the restaurant and a small upstairs McDonald's museum display. It is the first McDonald's location with a two lane drive-through. The reopening in 2005, coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Des Plaines, Illinois restaurant which was opened by Ray Kroc on April 15, 1955.

Former Chicago Historical Society Building..
Now it's Excalibur nightclub..
Address: 632 N. Dearborn St.
Year Built: 1892
Architect: Henry Ives Cobb
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: February 26, 1997..
Considered to be Cobb's finest work, it's one of the best examples of Romanesque Revival architecture.
The Chicago Historical Society occupied the building from the 1890s until 1931. It was that organization's need for a fireproof structure that accounts for the structure's granite-clad construction.
The building's later uses included the prestigious Institute of Design and recording studios for influential blues and rock n' roll performers in the 1950s and ‘60s.
Now it's the Excalibur nightclub..

Medinah Temple..
Address: 600 N. Wabash Ave.
Year Built: 1912
Architect: Huehl & Schmid ..
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: June 27, 2001 ..
Bloomingdale has taken over this building since 2003 ...
Medinah Temple is considered one of the nation's finest examples of a Middle Eastern-style Shirine temple..
# For more.. click here..

Tree Studios, Annexes, and Courtyard..
Address: 601-623 N. State
Architects: Parfitt Brothers, Bauer & Hill, Hill & Woltersdorf ..
Designated a Chicago Landmark ..
This is the nation's oldest-known artist studios.. It was constructed by philanthropists Judge and Mrs. Lambert Tree ..
# For more.. click here..

Cable House..
Address: 25 E. Erie St.
Year Built: 1886
Architect: Cobb and Frost
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: October 2, 1991 ..
Designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, this house was built for Ransom R. Cable, the President of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company. The Cable House is among only a few remaining structures that illustrate the original elite residential character of the area just west of North Michigan Avenue.
# For more on.. click here..

Nickerson House..
Address: 40 E. Erie St.
Year Built: 1883
Architect: Burling and Whitehouse
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: September 28, 1977..
The house was built for Samuel M. Nickerson, a liquor baron, who also founded the First National Bank of Chicago..
After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the city's Near North Side became a fashionable place to live for wealthy entrepreneurs.. This house, along with the Cable House across the street, are among the few survivors of that period of development. Nickerson House is sometimes called the "marble palace," with building's interior decorated with a profusion of marbles, carved and inlaid wood, tile, mosaics, and hand-tooled leather..

John B. Murphy Memorial..
Address: 50 E. Erie Street..
Architects: Marshall & Fox
Built between 1923 and 1926..
The Murphy Memorial is immediate east of the Nickerson House ..
The Murphy Memorial Building was built in honor of Dr. Murphy, MD, FACS [1857-1916], one of the more prominent founders of the American College of Surgeons. Shortly after his death, a group of Murphy's friends formed an association to solicit funds for erection of a suitable memorial, to be built in his honor. The memorial is designed is in the French Renaissance style, patterned after the Chapelle de Notre-Dame de Consolation in Paris, built in 1900... The Murphy Memorial has housed many ACS meetings, and offices of College staff over the years.

The Bush Temple of Music..
Address: 100 W. Chicago Ave.
Year Built: 1901
Architect: J.E.O. Pridmore
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: June 27, 2001 ..
The Bush Temple of Music was built as the headquarters and showroom of the Bush and Gerts Piano Company, one of Chicago’s leading piano companies.
# For more.. click here..

Pizzeria Uno.. & Pizzerai Duo..
Pizzeria Uno on 29 E. Ohio St., Chicago, IL 60611..[opened 1943]
Pizzeria Due a block away at 619 N. Wabash.. [opened 1955]
'Pizzeria Uno" is said to be the birthplace of Deep Dish Pizza ...
Citylore has it that a Texan named Ike Sewell created the dish at his bar and grill named Pizzeria Uno in 1943.
For more.. click here..

Designated Chicago Landmarks in the River North area includes..
- Assumption School Building..
- The Bush Temple of Music.. ..
- Cable House..
- Chicago Varnish Company Building..
- [Former] Chicago Historical Society Building ..
- [Former] Engine Company 42 Firehouse..
- Medinah Temple..
- Nickerson House..
- Reid Murdoch Center..
- Tree Studios, Annexes, and Courtyard..

RELATED LINKS..
# Part-I.. Buildings along the Chicago River..
# Part-II..
# Part-III.. Cathedral District..

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