{"nrhp_refnum":"95001005","name":"Dempster Street Station","other_names":["Skokie Swift Station","North Shore Train Station"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"5001 Dempster St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Skokie","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":42.04041373500007,"lon":-87.75216529799997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1996-02-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":[],"significance_levels":[],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick railroad depot at 5001 West Dempster Street in Skokie, Cook County, Illinois, built in 1924-25 as a station for North Shore interurban trains and the Chicago Rapid Transit Company. Designed by Arthur N. Gerber.","why_significant":"The station is significant for its role in railroad and transportation history and in the growth of Skokie, which was then called Niles Center. It is the sole surviving one of eight Gerber-designed stations built along the line between Dempster Street and Howard Terminal. A 1998 amendment documents a proposed move of about 140 feet within the terminal, arguing it still meets the criteria consideration for moved properties.","narrative":"Built in 1924-25 at 5001 West Dempster Street in Skokie, this brick depot served both the North Shore interurban line and the Chicago Rapid Transit Company. Architect Arthur N. Gerber designed it in a low, bungalow-like manner with strong Prairie School influence. Seven similar Gerber stations were built at the same time along the five miles toward Howard Terminal, but all were razed, leaving this largest and most ornate example as the sole survivor. The station's north side faced Dempster Street, its west side served as the North Shore Line loading platform, and its east side sheltered waiting passengers. It was listed for its link to railroad history and to the growth of Skokie, then known as Niles Center, which expanded rapidly after the interurban arrived. The depot also reflects the utility empire of Samuel Insull, whose companies owned both railways. A later amendment proposed relocating it roughly 140 feet east, keeping it near the original rail line and facing Dempster Street.","period_of_significance":"1925-1945","architect_builder":"Gerber, Arthur N., Architect","architectural_style":"Craftsman; Prairie School","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"The 1998 amendment proposes moving the station about 140 feet east within the Dempster Street Terminal, because of a transit improvement project. Earlier correspondence describes it as threatened with demolition.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.196886-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/71/8926/28892671/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/95001005.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95001005/1fff0b17ca-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95001005/1fff0b17ca-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 2.0","author":"Zol87 from Chicago, Illinois, USA","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skokie_(Dempster)_CTA_Station.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Zol87 from Chicago, Illinois, USA</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skokie_(Dempster)_CTA_Station.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892671","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dempster%E2%80%93Skokie_station","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q568297"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/dempster-street-station-95001005/"}