Naperville in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
5th Avenue Station
200 East 5th Avenue
| — | Naperville Historic District | — |
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 16, 2025
1. 5th Avenue Station Marker
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Railroads & Streetcars.
Location. 41° 46.832′ N, 88° 8.598′ W. Marker is in Naperville, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Brainard Street, on the right when traveling east on 5th Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 East 5th Avenue, Naperville IL 60563, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Spirit of the American Navy (about 700 feet away, measured
this page online
More about this marker. At least two identical NRHP plaques were spotted next to north-facing entrances to this building, one near the central entrance and one near the western entrance.
Regarding 5th Avenue Station. The four-story building spreads for two city blocks. It served as a furniture factory until about 1978. In the 1980s, the building was converted into a mixture of apartments and commercial space.
Also see . . .
1. 5th Avenue Station. A brief history of the building from Friedkin Property Group.
Excerpt: "The buiding is a former Kroehler furniture facility that is now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The building was constructed in 1918(Submitted on December 16, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)and features load bearing brick walls with exposed interior timber beams and columns. The asset underwent an adaptive re-use renovation from 1986-88 including extensive interior and exterior work."Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 16, 20252. 5th Avenue StationThe marker is visible to the right of the door.
2. Chicago Tribune: Converted factory offers an urban feel in Naperville. A 2002 article about 5th Avenue Station. (Submitted on December 16, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
3. National Register Nomination Form for the Naperville Historic District. The 5th Avenue Station is a contributing structure to the Naperville Historic District. The nomination form for this district was prepared by Robert Wagner, National Register Assistant with the Illinois Department of Conservation on October 22, 1975 and revised on April 27, 1977. A basic statement of significance for the district is on page 11:
The Naperville Historic District embraces an area where one can trace the history of one small piece of an immense metropolitan region from its earliest settlement, through the stages of small town and city, up to its recent suburban roleon the basis of visual reminders alone.Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 16, 20253. 5th Avenue Station
The older building stock, though subjected to losses in the last thirty years, is still relatively intact and well above average in quality. There are a number of outstanding individual sites and structures (Nos. 1-20 below) and a considerably larger group of buildings only slightly less significant. Background buildings, often of quality, enhance the impression of period and place stressed by these major sites, indeed it is the number and quality of these secondary structures which account significantly for the characteristic flavor of Naperville as an old town suddenly become a suburb.
Despite encroachments that have threatened to degrade Naperville into just another link in the chain of bedroom communities encircling Chicago, the town has managed to retain the unmistakable aura of an independent place that grew to maturity during the 19th century.
Additionally, a description of the facility (referred to as Kroehler Manufacturing company) is on page 7:
10. Kroehler Manufacturing Company(Submitted on February 23, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
Loomis at C.B.& Q.RR
Built in 1905; alterations and additions in 1909, 1913.Organized as theNaperville Lounge Company in 1893, the firm was reincorporated as the Kroehler Manufacturing Co. in 1915. A major employer in Naperville throughout the company's history, the firm became one of the nation's largest manufactures of upholstered furniture.Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, December 16, 20254. 5th Avenue Station MarkerThis is identical marker found near a western entrance to the building, about a 100 feet from the one at the center of the building.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 16, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 80 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 16, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
