Yondorf Block and Hall
Also known as: Sam's Cut-Rate Liquors
Why it's listed
Yondorf Hall and its attached commercial block rise four stories at the corner of North Avenue and Halsted Street on Chicago's Near North Side. Clothing merchants August and Charles Yondorf had it built in 1887 to a design by architect Frederick Ahlschlager. Shops occupied the ground floor, while the upper floors held at least six halls of various sizes, including a two-story auditorium used for lectures, plays and dances. Lodges, benefit societies and trade unions serving the German, Hungarian, Swedish and Swiss neighborhood met there. The south and west fronts combine red pressed brick, Bedford limestone, terra cotta and a sheet metal cornice, joining Victorian Gothic color with Romanesque solidity. A corner tower and several chimneys and gables have since been cut down or removed, but the building is otherwise little altered. Once one of many commercial buildings along North Avenue, it is now the only one that recalls the immigrant community that built it. A liquor store still occupies the lower levels.
Significance in brief: It was built as a rental hall building for the clubs, societies and fraternal groups of the surrounding northern European neighborhood, and unusually gave every floor above the ground level to hall use. Its street facades blend Victorian Gothic polychromy with Romanesque Revival massing and masonry detail. It is described as a largely intact example of late 19th-century hall construction and the last representative of the ethnic community that built it.
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 84000297, listed November 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 758 W. North Ave., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | November 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000297 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Frederick Ahlschlager (1858-1905) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian Gothic modified by Romanesque Revival influence |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Ground floor and basement house a liquor store; the upper-floor hall is unused but largely intact; the building is described as fair to deteriorated and neglected. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.91117, -87.64815 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 84000297.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q62268839
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.