Goldblatt Bros. Department Store
Also known as: Oppenheimer's, J., Department Store
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Why it's listed
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.
Significance in brief: 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.
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 06001016, listed November 15, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4700 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | November 15, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06001016 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Alfred S. Alschuler |
| Architectural style | Chicago School with Classical Revival Details |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant/not in use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.80844, -87.66539 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 06001016.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5579027
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.