Building at 1505-1509 Oak Avenue
Why it's listed
Built in 1925 on the east side of Oak Avenue in Evanston, this red brick and limestone apartment building follows a half-courtyard plan and draws on Classical design. Its Oak Avenue front is six bays wide, with two-story Corinthian pilasters between floor-to-ceiling French windows in the central four bays. Limestone quoining marks the corners, and limestone bands separate the English basement, the first two stories and the third floor. The central entrance has fluted Corinthian pilasters and a broken pediment around an urn. The courtyard is formal, with entries between brick columns and a wrought iron fence, and the classical facade repeats on the south and west sides of the court. Inside are 21 apartments of one to three bedrooms plus a garden apartment, some with maid's rooms. It was listed as the finest Classical example among Evanston's half-courtyard apartment buildings and as a good illustration of architect Samuel Crowen's skill.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as the finest of several half-courtyard apartment buildings in Evanston that use Classical motifs. Its clarity, formality and design excellence give it distinction. It also shows the versatility and excellence of architect Samuel Crowen, who designed other Evanston apartment buildings.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84000976, listed March 15, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1505-1509 Oak Ave., Evanston |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | March 15, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000976 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Samuel N. Crowen |
| Architectural style | Classical (disciplined classicism) half-courtyard apartment building |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The building contains 21 one-to-three bedroom apartments plus one garden apartment, with a seven-space garage at the rear. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.04542, -87.68685 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84000976.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q96374084
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.