Oldest business: Peacock Jewelers (1838); oldest apothecary: Merz Apothecary (1875); oldest tavern: Schaller’s Pump (1889); oldest theater: the Biograph Theater (1914), and oldest drive-in: Superdawg (1948). In Oldest Chicago, journalist David Witter highlights dozens of the oldest local treasures in Chicago and its suburban and exurban areas. Remarkable for having survived demolition and extinction for decades, these beloved landmarks have also helped define our city’s landscape, offering continuity and civic identity across generations. Having lost Marshall Field’s, Carson Pirie Scott, and many more in recent years, Oldest Chicago is also a reminder of the value of these familiar faces and a call to preserve them for a future sense of place.
