| Address | 1393-1399 W. Lake Street, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1892 |
| Architect | Not Known |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | September 14, 2021 (Final) |
| Neighborhood | Near West Side |
| Type | Tavern and brewery |
| Landmark ID | L-369 |
What this designation leaves out
- The non-historic, one-story frame structure with fabric roof and vestibule at the rear of the building is excluded from the designation.
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“Overall, the building's highly decorative character seen in a contrasting variety of materials and treatments throughout its asymmetric design create a striking Queen Anne-style tied house. TAVERN AND TENANCY The 1893 Chicago City Directory lists Anthony D. Rocca as the proprietor of a saloon at the building, suggesting he may have been the first saloonkeeper chosen by the company to operate a tavern in the building.”
“The Schlitz Brewery-Tied House at 1393-1399 West Lake Street is representative of the brewing industry founded and managed by German immigrants who were prominent businessmen active in the city's affairs; and therefore reflects the importance of ethnic immigration in Chicago's history and development in general and specifically the contributions of Chicago's German ethnic community, one of the city's largest ethnic groups.”
“The Schlitz Brewery-Tied House at 1393-1399 West Lake Street displays exceptionally fine craftsmanship and detailing in high-quality historic materials displayed through such features as its pressed brick and cut stone masonry including fan lunettes over the windows and a checkerboard spandrel panel and pressed-metal architectural ornament at the turret, bay window, and under the eaves.”
“The proliferation of tied houses in cities like Chicago was one of many factors that ultimately led to passage of the National Prohibition Act in 1919. The (former) Schlitz Brewery-Tied House at 1393-1399 West Lake Street is one of the earlier and more architecturally ornate examples of the Chicago taverns built by breweries around the turn of the twentieth century.”
“In addition to the tied house's contribution to Chicago's historic neighborhood architecture, these buildings convey important aspects of Chicago and American history in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including the large influx of European immigrants; the growth of the vertically-integrated business model which sought to control all aspects of production from raw material to retail sale; and the increasing political power of anti-alcohol activists.”
“Tied house buildings that re-opened as taverns in 1933 were owned or leased by independent tavern keepers. Schlitz Brewery's Tied House System in Chicago Though not the first tied house builder in Chicago, Schlitz was the most prolific, and in some instances its architectural legacy is readily identifiable by the brewery's “belted globe" insignia which survives on many of its tied houses.”
“The Schlitz Brewery-Tied House at 1393-1399 West Lake Street is one of the few remaining, earlier, larger brewery-tied houses in Chicago which were most commonly located on prominent corners of commercial streets well served by street cars or elevated trains and within neighborhoods settled by large ethnic and working class populations.”
“The Schlitz Brewery-Tied House at 1393-1399 West Lake Street is one of a great number of buildings built in Chicago by the Schlitz Brewery, which may be traced back to the aftermath of the Fire of 1871, when the Milwaukee-based Schlitz brewery sent beer to the ravaged city, significantly expanding its customer base in Chicago.”
“In comparison, 1393-1399 West Lake Street is one of the best-preserved early examples of the Schlitz Brewery-Tied House still standing today. Though the earlier buildings were a product of their Victorian time in terms of ornament, Schlitz Brewery-Tied Houses nevertheless retained remarkable uniformity over the decades in multiple aspects including design, location, and intent.”