The Uptown Broadway Building is a historic three-story building at 4703–4715 North Broadway Street

Broadway Street (Chicago)

Broadway is a major street in Chicago's Lakeview, Uptown, and Edgewater community areas on the city's North Side, running from Diversey Parkway to Devon Avenue . Originally called Evanston Avenue, the name of the street was changed to Broadway on August 15, 1913 as part of 467 road name changes...

 in Uptown, Chicago

Uptown, Chicago

Uptown is one of Chicago’s 77 community areas. Uptown has well defined boundaries. They are: Foster on the north; Lake Michigan on the east; Montrose , and Irving Park on the south; Ravenswood , and Clark on the west. Uptown borders three community areas and Lake Michigan...

. Built in 1926, it was designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager

Walter W. Ahlschlager

Walter W. Ahlschlager was a twentieth century American architect who had his offices in Chicago for many years. Later he established an office in Dallas, Texas...

 and is known for its ornate terra-cotta facade, depicting ancient gods, rams' heads, shields, helmets, birds, fruits, and trophies. Lynn Becker of the Chicago Reader has called the exterior "a riotous, Spanish-baroque

Spanish Baroque

Spanish Baroque is a strand of Baroque architecture that evolved in Spain and its provinces and former colonies, notably Spanish America and Belgium....

-inspired hallucination of polychromatic terra-cotta". According to unconfirmed local legends, Al Capone

Al Capone

Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...

 operated a speakeasy

Speakeasy

A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...

 in the building's basement.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1986. It is also listed as part of the Uptown Square Historic District.