Sheridan in 1985. The laureled cartouches and paired columns are typical of Beaux-Arts architecture and of Gerber's "L" station designs. (Photo by Olga Stefanos)

Sheridan (4000N/1000W)
Sheridan Road and Irving Park Road, Lakeview

Service Notes:

Red Line: Howard

Owl Service

Quick Facts:

Address: 3940 N. Sheridan Road
Established: June 1, 1900
Original Line: Northwestern Elevated Railroad
Previous Names: none

Skip-Stop Type:

Station
Rebuilt: 1924
Status: In Use

6000-series car 6655 rounds the corner at Sheridan station on May 6, 2001 while on IRM's PCC fantrip. Looking east on the northbound island platform, the last of the CRT's blue and white enamel station name signs on the "L" system remains on a wooden windbreak at the east end of the platform. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

History:

Designed by Arthur U. Gerber, the current Doric/Beaux-Arts station with Terra Cotta execution bears a strong resemblance to the South Blvd. station, which Gerber also designed. Trademark Gerber details include the laurel-framed cartouches, pair of Greek-revival Doric columns and the words "Rapid Transit" above the door in Terra Cotta. It is not clear why Sheridan was rebuilt in 1924, as there was clearly a station at this site since the Northwestern "L"'s construction in 1900 and, unlike stations like Argyle and Loyola farther north, this section was always elevated, ruling track elevation out as a reason.

Whatever the case, Sheridan has fallen into a state of disrepair, losing many of its original decorations, including its light fixtures, but still retains its general architectural theme.

Sheridan was the last station on the entire "L" system that still had an old-style CRT-era blue and white enamel station name sign in place, located on the north side of the last wooden partition on the east end northbound platform. It was also visible from the street below. (There is also a CRT era sign for DePaul University at Fullerton and other smaller auxiliary signs of that era at various Ravenswood, Evanston, Howard, and Loop stations.)

In May 2002, the Live Bait Theater "adopted" the Sheridan station as part of the CTA's Adopt-A-Station program. Participating in the adoption ceremony were CTA President Frank Kruesi and Live Bait Theater Artistic Director Sharon Evans, along with other elected officials and community representatives. The adoption of the Sheridan station by the Live Bait Theater includes a visual tribute to Chicago writers, with murals installed throughout the station that feature short literary quotes inspired by notable Chicago writers who found poetic inspiration as they rode the trains, including Ben Hecht, Carl Sandburg, Edna Ferber and Richard Wright. The designs and murals are by Mary Griswold. The Chicago writers' portraits are by Steve Musgrave. Mr. Musgrave is the same artist who adopted the Red Line station at Addison.

As part of a general cleanup of the station in preparation for the station to be adopted, all nonstandard, damaged, and out-of-date signage was removed. This included the aforementioned blue and white porcelain enamel station name sign at the east end of the northbound platform, facing track 4, that dated from the days of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company circa the 1920s.

At its June 4 , 2003 monthly meeting, the Chicago Transit Board approved a $569,973 contract for Chicago-based Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc. to design and prepare construction bid documents for the CTA's® "Front Door Program" that will add amenities to station entrances throughout the rail system. The "Front Door Program" includes making improvements to station entrances, enhancing connections to bus routes and improving bicycle access and storage facilities. Upgrades will include station identification signage, new fencing, reconfigured turnstiles, improved lighting and heating systems, benches/street furniture, improved bus waiting areas and bus information panels, landscaping and windbreaks. Bicycle storage amenities include internal wall-mounted racks and areas for storing helmets and other riding gear. Seven stations are scheduled for entrance upgrades as part of the initiative, including Sheridan. Funding for this contract is provided by the FTA and the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). Bids for a contractor will go out in 2004.

In Fall 2005, the Chicago Cubs adopted the Sheridan station as part of the CTA's® Adopt-A-Station program. Cubs officials, local elected officials and Chicago Transit Authority representatives dedicated the adoption at the station on October 3, 2005. The Cubs commissioned Gallery 37 to create two pieces of art for the station that depict the culture of the Cubs and the surrounding neighborhood. The two pieces, 8.5 feet by 7 feet and 3 feet by 15 feet were created by 26 students in the gallery's innovative Center for the Arts eight week summer arts program during summer 2005. The artwork hangs on the north and south walls in the station's unpaid area. The Cubs chose to adopt Sheridan because Chicago artist Steve Musgrave adopted the Addison station, next to Wrigley Field, in 1998.

In 2006, the station name signs and column signs on the platform were replaced, with Current Graphic Standard signs replacing the KDR Standard graphics, and new entrance signs installed as part of a signage upgrade project on the Red Line. As part of this effort, the station also received granite compass roses inset into the sidewalk in front of the station entrance to assist customers leaving the station to navigate their way, and three-sided galvanized steel pylons in the station house and on the platform to display maps and station timetables.

 

The dual island platforms at Sheridan, looking west in 1999. These platforms, little changed since this station opened 99 years before, were made to service both sets of tracks, as Sheridan was designed to be an express/local station. Now, the outside tracks are used by Purple Line Express trains -- which do not call at Sheridan -- and the island platforms act as side platforms for Red Line service. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

 

sheridan02.jpg (116k)
The Sheridan station looking west from a Howard-bound train in the early 1990s. The two platforms serving four tracks harks back to its days as an express station on the Northwestern Elevated. (Photo from Chicago's "L"/Subway System: Take a Ride on the Wild Side from All-the-6000s-You-Missed Productions)

sheridan03.jpg (66k)
An eight-car northbound Red Line train of rehabbed 2600-series cars rounds the corner at Sheridan and Dakin, heading into Sheridan station on May 6, 2001. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

cta2644.jpg (84k)
Car 2644 trails a Red Line train stopping on the inner "express" tracks at Sheridan -- with its dual island platforms for express/local service -- on August 22, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

cta2646b.jpg (69k)
Leaving Sheridan station on its way downtown, car 2646 is on the back of a southbound Red Line of rehabbed 2600-series cars on August 22, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

cta2697.jpg (63k)
An 8-car Red Line train heads through the curve north of Dakin Avenue and into Sheridan station, with car 2697 in the lead on August 22, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

cta2722a.jpg (78k)
An 8-car northbound Red Line train stops at Sheridan station, led by car 2722, on August 22, 2001. The destination sign reading "95/Dan Ryan" sign is incorrectly set. Though it may or may not be the operator's error, it will only confuse passengers; the markers are the same in either direction, so towermen will be unfazed by the error. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

cta2910b.jpg (75k)
A long 8-car Red Line train of 2600-series cars, led by car 2910, travels through the Sheridan S-curve into Sheridan station, heading north on August 22, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

sheridan_signSB.jpg (68k)
Circa the 1980s, when Sheridan station received KDR-type signage, the platform received these "symbol signs". This sign's mention of A/B skip-stop service is now out-of-date, as A/B service was annulled on the Howard Line in 1995. The red color of the sign comes from a color-coding of signage under the KDR scheme, with A stations being red. (Sign from the Andrew Stiffler Collection)