Sheffield Historic District (Boundary Increase II)
Also known as: See Also:Sheffield Historic District
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Three buildings along the north side of W. Altgeld Street in Chicago were added to the Sheffield Historic District to correct a boundary that divided the street. The Cullman Wheel Company plant grew from an 1888 German mission church, Deering Methodist Episcopal, through additions of 1907 to 1918 by several architects. The church's east wall, with buttresses and lancet windows, remains visible. The Klawikowski saloon and apartment building, designed by William Gauger in 1907, has Romanesque arches and a stone front. It reflects a move away from the district's earlier corner-towered saloon buildings. After Prohibition closed the saloon, the National Milk Company used it for offices and later built a rear addition. In 1919-1920 that company also built a flat-iron-shaped stable and wagon barn designed by M. Frank Strauch. Together the buildings match the scale, materials and age of the district and complete its northwestern streetscape.
Significance in brief: The three buildings touch the W. Altgeld property line and were left out of an earlier boundary, splitting a harmonious streetscape. The Cullman plant incorporates the 1888 Deering Methodist Episcopal Church and shows churchlike forms in factory design. The Klawikowski building shows the shift from Victorian exuberance to quieter Romanesque design. The milk company barns link to the district's industrial and commercial history.
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 85001333, listed June 19, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by W. Altgeld St., N. Lakewood, N. Fullerton, and N. Southport Aves., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | June 19, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001333 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Cullman plant: Frank S. Baker (1907, 1909), Herman J. Gaul (1911), Oscar A. Achenbach (1918), original 1888 church architect unknown; Klawikowski building: William Gauger; National Milk Company barns: M. Frank Strauch |
| Architectural style | Romanesque (Klawikowski building); Gothic-style details and ecclesiastical elements (Cullman plant); otherwise commercial/industrial |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Cullman plant: a restoration project was anticipated to remove glass brick and return multipaned windows. Klawikowski building became a funeral home in 1949, still operating at the time of the form. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 41.92766, -87.66261 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 85001333.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85800754
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.