{"nrhp_refnum":"05000107","name":"Narragansett, The","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1640 E. Fiftieth St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chicago","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.80461152500004,"lon":-87.58470340999997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-04-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 22-story Art Deco luxury apartment skyscraper at 1640 East Fiftieth Street in the Kenwood area of Chicago, built 1928-1930 and designed by the architectural firm Leichenko and Esser.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a fine example of Art Deco style applied to multi-family residential architecture, with strong verticality and quality craftsmanship. It is especially notable for polychromatic terra cotta ornament designed by Charles Morgan. It also represents 1920s high-rise apartment construction in the Chicago Beach Development.","narrative":"Rising 22 stories at 1640 East Fiftieth Street in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood, this apartment building was constructed from 1928 to 1930 to designs by the firm of Leichenko and Esser. It is one of five tall 1920s apartment buildings in the Chicago Beach area between the railroad tracks and Lake Shore Drive. The facades combine limestone at the base with brick piers above, emphasizing height. Terra cotta elephants sit atop the base, and spandrel panels by artist and architect Charles Morgan depict Native American figures, pegasus, deer and a Tree of Life. Inside, the lobbies keep terrazzo floors, wood paneling and plaster ceilings, and each floor holds three two-bedroom apartments served by separate elevators. It was listed for its architecture as a fine Art Deco apartment tower, and it was featured in a 1929 American Architect issue. The building retains excellent integrity, and it still serves as housing today.","period_of_significance":"1928-1930","architect_builder":"Leichenko and Esser, architects; Morgan, Charles Leonard, architect/artist","architectural_style":"Art Deco; Other: Skyscraper","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Historic and current function is multiple dwelling; the form reports excellent integrity, with masonry repairs underway.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.006729-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/36/8919/28891936/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/05000107.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000107/3f5043eb8a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000107/3f5043eb8a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20080713_Narragansett.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20080713_Narragansett.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891936","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Narragansett_(Chicago)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83182129"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/narragansett-the-05000107/"}