West Argyle Street Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
Roughly six miles north of the Loop in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, this district clusters around the Argyle elevated train station. It holds seventy-three buildings, mostly brick with limestone and terra cotta detailing, ranging from one to twelve stories. Contributing buildings date from 1898 to 1938 and include flat buildings, single-family houses, courtyard apartments, apartment hotels and one- and two-part commercial blocks along West Argyle Street. Styles include Classical, Renaissance, Spanish Eclectic, Tudor and Late Gothic revivals, plus an Art Deco commercial building on North Sheridan Road. The tallest is the twelve-story 5050 Sheridan Building of 1929. Growth followed the extension of the elevated railway to Wilson Avenue after residents lobbied for it, which drew new residents and merchants. The boundaries enclose the most intact remaining portion of this development, since later redevelopment removed parts of the Winthrop-Kenmore corridor. Alterations are mostly to storefronts and windows, and the district keeps its historic scale, materials and street pattern.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its intact grouping of commercial buildings, apartment hotels and flat buildings that grew up near the Argyle train station. Its development followed the extension of the elevated railway into Chicago's north side. The buildings show a range of early twentieth-century revival styles and local building types such as the Chicago flat and the courtyard apartment.
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). NRHP reference 13000555, listed July 30, 2013. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N. Broadway & E. block face of N. Sheridan Rd. between W. Argyle St. & W. Winona Ave., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | July 30, 2013 |
| Reference number | 13000555 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Includes Levy & Klein (5050 Sheridan Building), William G. Krieg, William M. Walter, C. M. Almquist, S.H. Deufard, Charles Rawson, Harry E. Stevens and F. E. Roberts |
| Architectural style | Early 20th Century Revival styles (Classical, Renaissance, Spanish Eclectic, Tudor, Late Gothic); Modern Movement: Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Retains a high degree of integrity; post-1950 construction is minimal. Buildings remain in residential, retail and religious use. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.97516, -87.66012 (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 13000555.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives)
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2564147
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.