{"nrhp_refnum":"06001016","name":"Goldblatt Bros. Department Store","other_names":["Oppenheimer's, J., Department Store"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"4700 S. Ashland Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chicago","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.808441069000025,"lon":-87.66538556799998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-11-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A four- and five-story brick and terra cotta department store at 4700 South Ashland Avenue, at 47th Street, on Chicago's southwest side. It was built in 1915 to designs by Alfred S. Alschuler as the J. Oppenheimer Department Store.","why_significant":"The building combines Chicago School structural features, such as a columned support system and full-bay Chicago windows, with Classical Revival terra cotta detailing by a noted commercial architect. It is also tied to the Goldblatt brothers, who bought it in 1928 and built a discount department store chain known for deep price-cutting and early branch stores.","narrative":"Rising four and five stories at the corner of Ashland Avenue and 47th Street, this brick department store anchors a busy retail district on Chicago's southwest side. Built in 1915 as the J. Oppenheimer Department Store, it was designed by Chicago architect Alfred S. Alschuler, who was best known for commercial and industrial buildings. The street fronts are clad in cream-colored terra cotta with three-story paired pilasters, a dentiled cornice and a paneled parapet, while wide Chicago windows span each bay. Inside, open columned selling floors give the building a warehouse-like feel. The Goldblatt brothers bought the store in 1928, enlarged it and added signage, including a corner blade sign and a rooftop water tank bearing the company name. Goldblatt's grew into a fast-expanding chain built on low prices and bargain promotions. The building is now vacant, but it preserves the architecture and the retail character of the Goldblatt era.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Alfred S. Alschuler","architectural_style":"Chicago School with Classical Revival Details","criteria":[],"status_note":"Current function is listed as vacant/not in use.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.396683-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/53/8925/28892553/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/06001016.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06001016/057a5d8773-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06001016/057a5d8773-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goldblatt%27s_Department_Store_(NRHP).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goldblatt%27s_Department_Store_(NRHP).jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"12000040","name":"Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/illinois/chicago-park-boulevard-system-historic-district-12000040/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892553","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldblatt%27s","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5579027"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/goldblatt-bros-department-store-06001016/"}