65th Street (6500S/400W)
65th Street and Stewart Avenue, Englewood

Service Notes:

Normal Park Line

Quick Facts:

Address: 414 W. 65th Street
Established: May 26, 1907
Original Line: South Side Elevated, Normal Park branch
Previous Names: n/a
Skip-Stop Type: n/a
Rebuilt: n/a
Status: Demolished

History:

The Normal Park branch of the Englewood line, which was less than one mile long, left the main line at Harvard and went six blocks due south. Opening in 1907, the only major traffic generator on this line was the Chicago Normal School, a teachers' college near the 69th Street terminal.

The design on the 65th Street station house is similar to that of the Racine station on the Englewood branch, indicating that Racine architect Earl Nielson was likely responsible for this structure. It was constructed of brick with copper and wood trim, stone sills and limestone column bases executed in the Greek Revival style. The articulated cornice, triglyphs and pilasters resembled a Doric temple.

The platforms were typical of those on the Englewood and Normal Park branches, with wood decking on a steel structure. The canopies were supported from the back of the platform, with steel arched supports and latticework along the back and a hipped corrugated metal roof.

Service to and from the Normal Park branch was varied and changed throughout the line's 47 year existence. During the South Side Elevated's time, Normal Park cars were coupled onto Englewood trains at Harvard for the trip north. This practice continued even after crosstown service began in 1913 and Englewood/Normal Park trains were through-routed to Wilson. On February 23, 1931, the CRT revamped crosstown service. Englewood/Normal Park trains were routed to the Ravenswood during rush hour and terminated in the Loop during off-peak times. Upon it's opening in 1943, these trains were through-routed at all times via the State Street Subway. On August 1, 1949, the CTA initiated their North-South Route service revision and turned the Normal Park branch into a shuttle operation. A single train of one or two wood cars usually worked the branch back and forth between 69th and Harvard stations.

The short Normal Park branch was abandoned in January 1954 as hopelessly unprofitable and having no real future for improvement.