Espana Cafe, 4600 Lake Shore Drive, Wilson and Clarendon

Image courtesy John Chuckman.

Clarendon Municipal Bathing Beach, Pavilion

What a gorgeous pavilion this was prior to renovation! Clarendon Municipal Bathing Beach, where Weiss Hospital now stands, could accommodate thousands of bathers a day.

According to the Chicago Park District, the beach was constructed in 1915, taking its name from Clarendon Avenue, which in turn was named for English statesmen Edward Hyde, the first Earl of Clarendon. The pavilion was completed in 1916. Clarendon was the largest bathing beach in the country, attracting 425,000 paying visitors the first summer and almost 2 million a year by 1929. It had two towers, separate locker areas for men and women, a playroom, and a laundry facility. It could accommodate more than 9,000 swimmers and had a promenade for thousands of spectators. It rented out bathing suits, towels, and lockers.

The beach was very popular through the 1930s. When Lincoln Park was expanded up to Foster Avenue, Clarendon lost its lake frontage. The city converted the building into a community center, "adding gymnasiums, club rooms, a playground, and an athletic field." A major renovation in 1972 resulted in the removal of the elaborate towers and roof tiles. Today, it holds a gymnasium, boxing ring, fitness center, and meeting rooms. Programs include after school sports, aerobics, and preschool activities.

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The Monterey Hotel, Junior Terrace at Clarendon

The Monterey Hotel. 808 Junior Terrace, Corner Clarendon Ave. (4300 North) Chicago 13, Illinois. The back of the card reads: The North Shore's finest Residential Hotel. Catering to transient and Residential Guests. Located on the exclusive North Side, Overlooking Lake Michigan, Lincoln Park and the Outer Drive. 15 minutes to Downtown Shopping and Theatre Center. Motor bus at door. 808 Junior Terrace, Chicago 13, IL.

Image courtesy Brian M.

Pumping Station at Clarendon & Montrose, Uptown Chicago

The Lake View Pumping Station was located on the northeast corner of Clarendon and Montrose. It supplied a large portion of Chicago's water needs during the first half of the twentieth century, with a capacity to pump 25 million gallons of water a day.

The first photo dates to 1904, and shows the original station, which was built for the city of Lake View in 1875. Lake View was annexed to Chicago in 1889 and a new pumping station was built between 1907 and 1915.

The pumping station stopped supplying water to the city in 1964, and was torn down in 1978. The second image was taken that year, and is looking west down Montrose toward the station.