F. Sauter Building

AKA:
Stern’s Store for Men

Address:
33-37 S. Genesee Street
Waukegan, IL 60085

Years Active:
1894-2010 (apartments condemned in 1986)

Summary:
Victorian apartment and retail block built with drop-dead gorgeous exterior craftsmanship. 37 S. Genesee was home to Stern’s Store for Men for nearly a century. One of the most beloved buildings in downtown Waukegan, but was neglected for decades. The apartments were condemned, first; then Stern’s was finally claimed by the Great Recession.

Status: DEMOLISHED 2014

Article: F. Sauter Building

Flickr sets: Stern’s 2/19/12; Stern’s 2/26/12; Apartments November 2014; Demolition 11/13/14

Video: LostWauk promo; Raw Explore

Notes: Explored in two phases, two years apart. The apartments were never accessible from the ground, so I climbed into them with a makeshift ladder the weekend before it was torn down.