Yondorf Block and Hall

“All had retail space on the first floor, while meeting rooms of varying sizes occupied upper floors. It was in buildings such as the Yondorf Block and Hall that the literally hundreds of social organizations and clubs common to 19thand early 20th-century Chicago met.”

“The largest space was Yondorf's Hall itself, a two-story theater on the second and third floors that soon became a favorite site for neighborhood social events. A Chicago newspaper, the Inter-Ocean, noted in its January 28, 1888, issue that the Yondorf Block and Hall was "one of the handsomest and most imposing on the North Side" and that its theater was "a favorite place of meeting, being rented out almost every night." The Building's Architecture Historically, the Yondorf Block and Hall has been a visual anchor for the six-corner intersection of North, Halsted and Clybourn since its construction.”

“The Yondorf Block and Hall is an outstanding example of a public hall building. Its exterior is large and imposing, finely detailed with beautifully crafted ornament in a variety of materials, including molded brick, carved stone, terra cotta and pressed metal.”

“Designed by Frederick Ahlschlager, it was a public hall building, a common building type in most Chicago neighborhoods during the late 19th century. Like other hall buildings, Yondorf housed stores on the first floor, while upper floors contained meeting halls of varying size that were rented to individuals and organizations for meetings and other social events.”

“The Yondorf Block and Hall is a significant landmark in the social history of Chicagoans of German descent. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, North Avenue was an important commercial street in the heart of one of Chicago's most prominent German- American neighborhoods.”

“Finally, the Yondorf Block and Hall stands at the edge of the Lincoln Park community, almost the lone survivor of the forces of change that transformed the area following World War II.”

“Building (1877) in New York City. 4 Victorian Eclecticism In its stylistic eclecticism and profuse ornament, the Yondorf Block and Hall is a splendid example of the kind of commercial building that Victorian-era Chicagoans favored.”

“The Yondorf Block and Hall is a fine synthesis of two architectural styles popular during the period, Victorian Gothic and Richardsonian Romanesque. It also contains ornament, based on plant motifs rendered in a hard-edged, geometric manner, that shows the influence of early modern architectural design.”

“Its upper floors contained meeting rooms and halls of varying sizes available for rental. The finest was Yondorf's Hall itself. Located on the second floor, this two-story space is a well-preserved example of a 19th-century public hall theater.”

“Most were small in scale, including Folz's Hall at Larrabee Avenue (demolished) and Kern Hall (c. 1890), which remains at Hudson Avenue. The Yondorf Block and Hall was the largest and finest of those on North Avenue, and is an outstanding example of a public hall building that combines the speculative character of smaller public halls and saloons with the scale and visual exuberance of a private club.”