Ariston Cafe
About this property
The Ariston Café is a historic restaurant located in Litchfield, Illinois, United States, along Old U.S. Route 66. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The Ariston Café in Litchfield (named from the Greek word “aristo”—meaning, “the best.”) was built in 1935 for original owners Pete Adam and Tom Cokinos, two experienced restaurateurs. Pete Adam had operated an Ariston Café in Carlinville since 1924; after 1930 a highway realignment moved U.S. Route 66 in Illinois further east. Work began on April 4, 1935, by hired contractor Henry A. Vasel and the building was completed on July 5, 1935. The design of the Ariston Café 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 Deco 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 façade and its fine and varied brick work. Originally, the Ariston, like many Route 66 businesses, had two fuel pumps fronting it. The Ariston Café 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 Café was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 2006. The Ariston, is identified as being over one hundred years old during the Route 66 Centennial year in 2026 in American Road Magazine's Volume 23, Number 4, feature article titled: "100 Years on Route 66: 50 Sites that have Hit the Century Mark on the Mother Road."
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Ariston Cafe listed on the National Register?
Ariston Cafe was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 4, 2006.
What type of historic resource is Ariston Cafe?
Ariston Cafe is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Ariston Cafe?
The period of significance for Ariston Cafe is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Ariston Cafe?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Ariston Cafe will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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