Newport Avenue District

“One of the finest limestone-clad buildings is the Vautravers apartment building located at 947-949 W. Newport. This rusticated Romanesque apartment building from the district's earliest period of development features copper bays detailed in floral and geometric motifs as well as an arched, pedimented entranceway.”

“Construction of the first large group of buildings on Newport coincided with the land survey, acquisition, and construction of the elevated rail line, which began in 1894 and ended with the line's opening in 1900.”

“Throughout the first decades of the 20th century, the number of households grew dramatically as six-flats and apartment buildings were constructed on the block. According to the United States Census figures, approximately 132 families lived on Newport in 1900.”

“(the two main streets framing the Newport Avenue District) were upgraded to electric streetcars. Within two more years, Broadway also saw faster streetcars replace horse-drawn cars. Even more dramatic was the real estate development in eastern Lake View in the 1890s and early 1900s that was spurred by the construction of a North-Side elevated line to match others being built on the South and West Sides.”

“This is especially evident in the buildings at 908-914 W. Newport, all of which are similarly detailed and many of which contain their original entrance porches. In addition, most buildings within the District were originally topped by ornate pressed-metal cornices.”

“Similarly, Classically-influenced elements were applied to other structures, as in 864 W. Newport, with its Ionic entrance columns and simple dentil-embellished cornice. Cornices and other crowning elements are especially indicative of the block, where several buildings have simple cornices detailed with dentils and brackets. 822 W. Newport features a bold, geometric cornice, and buildings such as 830 and 838 are both capped with decorative limestone finials.”

“Unusual stylistic influences such as Gothic-inspired geometric ornament is evident in the apartment building at 924-926 W. Newport. Constructed in 1928, the apartment features limestone detail and a castellated parapet.”

“While intact residential buildings from the 1890s through the 1920s are found throughout Chicago, it is unusual to find a block-long collection of residences that combine the character and overall integrity in the manner that the Newport Avenue District possesses.”

“Original wooden porch decks and stairs have been occasionally replaced with concrete, while original cast-iron railings have been replaced with later wrought iron. Two buildings in the District have had significant changes to cladding materials, but they remain potentially contributing.”

“Even more significantly, the buildings found in the District form a coherent streetscape that is visually distinctive within the larger context of the Lake View community. In October 1890, soon after Lake View's annexation, developer Jacob Feinberg paid $10,000 for a parcel of farmland bounded by Halsted Street, Cornelia Avenue, Clark Street, and Roscoe Avenue.”