Lake-Side Terrace Apartments
Why it's listed
Lake-Side Terrace Apartments is a four-story, E-shaped courtyard building at 7425-7427 South Shore Drive in Chicago, built in 1922-1923 and designed by architect Eric Edwin Hall. Its reinforced concrete structure is clad in tan and brown brick with limestone trim, and Tudor-style details include crenellated parapets, towers, blind arcades, quoins, carved shields and lions' heads. It holds 103 apartments. Unlike most Chicago courtyard buildings, it turns its rear wall toward the street and opens two courtyards to Lake Michigan. Visitors climb stairs beneath arched entries to raised terraces, where the lake view opens up, and balustraded stairways lead down to the beach. The nomination values the building for its architecture, as a distinctive example of the courtyard apartment type that was popular in Chicago in the early twentieth century. Its inventive adaptation of that type to a rare private lakefront site gives it special distinction. The building remains in good condition and largely unaltered.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building embodies the distinctive characteristics of the courtyard apartment type, which was very popular in Chicago in the early twentieth century. Its design departs from the usual layout by turning the rear wall to the street and opening raised, terraced courtyards toward Lake Michigan. This gives each courtyard an unbounded lake vista, which the form describes as an unusual and nearly ideal realization of the courtyard ideal.
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 84000289, listed November 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7425-7427 S. Shore Dr., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | November 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000289 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1923 |
| Architect / builder | Eric Edwin Hall |
| Architectural style | Tudor-style decorative features on a courtyard apartment building |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition with original integrity and no significant alterations; the stairways down to the waterfront have deteriorated, and a rehabilitation is anticipated. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.76214, -87.55702 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 84000289.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85775587
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.