Dempster Street Station
Skokie
This outstanding Prairie-style building, commissioned by railroad magnate Samuel Insull and designed by architect Arthur U. Gerber in 1925, appeared on Landmarks Illinois’ Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois in 1995. At that time, this former railroad station in north suburban Chicago bore the marks of several insensitive alterations and was in general disrepair. Plans for a new transportation center called for the demolition of the 1925 station. The Village of Skokie, in response to the concerns of historic preservationists, agreed to lease an adjacent lot for the purpose of relocating the endangered station. Two local developers joined forces to purchase the station and relocate the building for retail use. In 2002 the station was moved a distance of 120 feet, placed on a new foundation and restoration was initiated. Non-original additions were removed and a faithful exterior restoration was completed following original construction documents and using salvaged bricks from the interior partition walls. Nine years after appearing on the Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois, Dempster Street Station is now a beautifully restored architectural showpiece intended to serve as an anchor for a new commuter-friendly mixed-use development in the Village of Skokie.