Ariston Cafe
Encyclopedia
The Ariston Cafe is a historic restaurant located in Litchfield, Illinois
, USA along Old U.S. Route 66
. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 2006.
style of the time period in its interior booths. On its exterior the Ariston's most distinguishing features are the curved parapet
wall on the front facade and its fine and varied brick work. Originally, the Ariston, like many Route 66 businesses, had two fuel pump
s fronting it.
on May 5, 2006.
Litchfield, Illinois
Litchfield is a city in Montgomery County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,815 at the 2000 census, and 6,588 in 2009. It is located in south central Illinois, south of Springfield and on the northern edge of the Greater St. Louis Metro-East area.-Attractions:The Ariston Cafe is one of...
, USA along Old U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
. It was added to the U.S. 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 2006.
History
The Ariston Cafe was built in 1935 for original owners Pete Adam and Tom Cokinos, two experienced restaurateurs. Work began on April 4, 1935 by hired contractor Henry A. Vasel and the building was completed on July 5, 1935.Design
The design of the Ariston Cafe does not reflect any particular architectural style. Instead, it was built in a utilitarian style, common for small commercial buildings of its time. Despite being non-stylistic, the building does contain echoes of the popular Art DecoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style of the time period in its interior booths. On its exterior the Ariston's most distinguishing features are the curved parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
wall on the front facade and its fine and varied brick work. Originally, the Ariston, like many Route 66 businesses, had two fuel pump
Fuel pump
A fuel pump is a frequently essential component on a car or other internal combustion engined device. Many engines do not require any fuel pump at all, requiring only gravity to feed fuel from the fuel tank through a line or hose to the engine...
s fronting it.
Historic significance
The Ariston Cafe is the longest-operating restaurant along the entire stretch of U.S. Route 66. It is representative of the types of businesses that once met with great success along historic Route 66. Despite a few alterations, including the addition of a banquet room, the building still maintains a historic character from the era of its construction. The Ariston Cafe was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic PlacesNational 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...
on May 5, 2006.