| Address | 141 W. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1930 |
| Architect | Holabird & RootJohn A. Holabird; John Wellborn Root, Jr. |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | May 4, 1977 (Final) |
| Neighborhood | Loop |
| Type | Office and commercial building |
| Landmark ID | L-14 |
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“The first regular meeting of the Board was held in April, 1848, in rooms above Gage and Haines's flour store on South Water Street. These rooms had been rented for $110 a year and were the first home of the Chicago Board of Trade.”
“The first Board of Trade Building on this site, designed in 1885 by the early Chicago architect W. W. Boyington, was demolished in 1929 and replaced by the present structure, which was designed by the noted architectural firm of Holabird & Root.”
“Both buildings were meant to express the importance of the Board and to create a dramatic southern end to Chicago's LaSalle Street high-rise "canyon.” The present-day building is both a significant visual “landmark" in the cityscape and a striking symbol of Chicago's pre-eminence in the commodities market.”
“This handsome building of Lemont limestone had been designed by Edward Burling, a prominent Chicago architect, and contained a two-story trading room used by the Board. The Board occupied this space until the Chamber of Commerce Building burned to the ground in the Chicago Fire of October 8-9, 1871.”
“(This building stood until 1947, when it was demolished for the widening of Congress Street.) The firm, one of Chicago's most prominent designers of commercial buildings for more than 40 years, was the firm then chosen in 1927 to design the new Chicago Board of Trade Building.”
“The Chicago Board of Trade Building has been noted for its historic and architectural significance repeatedly during its history. The building was prominently featured in the AIA Guide to Chicago and The Sky's the Limit, which documented Chicago's most significant skyscrapers.”
“As it grew, the Board of Trade accomplished much. It unified the business interests and energies of the city; established patterns for the inspection, warehousing, and shipping of grain; instituted standard grades for grain; formulated standards for the inspection of flour, pork, beef, lard, butter, lumber, etc.; influenced national and state legislation on commercial issues; instituted speculative trading; and created systems for the rapid dissemination of market quotations and important commercial news.”
“Holabird and Root did a number of buildings in this style; one of the most impressive is the Chicago Board of Trade Building. HOLABIRD & ROOT, ARCHITECTS The Chicago Board of Trade Building is among the premier works of Holabird & Root, one of the preeminent firms in the history of Chicago architecture.”
“The late architectural historian Carl Condit, who authoritatively chronicled the development and significance of Chicago's commercial highrises, stated that Holabird & Root's work during this period, including the Chicago Board of Trade Building, was "the decisive step in breaking with the past and reintroducing to Chicago the modern skyscraper that [Louis] Sullivan had developed years before." THE CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING The Chicago Board of Trade Building rises forty-four stories above LaSalle Street at Jackson Boulevard and was the tallest building in Chicago upon its completion in 1930.”
What other designation reports say about this building
“Chicago Board of Trade by Holabird & Root, 1928, 141 West Jackson Boulevard, extant. (Source: Ryerson & Burnham Libraries) Below center: North American Building by Holabird & Roche, 1912, 36 South State Street, extant.”
“…221 North La Salle Street), 333 North Michigan Avenue (1928, extant, designated Chicago Landmark), and the Chicago Board of Trade (1928, extant, 141 West Jackson Boulevard, designated Chicago landmark). As the years passed, the firm continued to build on the reputation of its predecessor and remained one of the…”
“…221 North La Salle Street), 333 North Michigan Avenue (1928, extant, designated Chicago Landmark), and the Chicago Board of Trade (1928, extant, 141 West Jackson Boulevard, designated Chicago landmark). As the years passed, the firm continued to build on the reputation of its predecessor and established itself as one…”
“Michigan Avenue; 1928); Chicago Board of Trade Building (141 W. Jackson Boulevard, 1930), and the Palmolive Building (919 N. Michigan Avenue; 1927-29). 146 Looking Down La Salle Stront.”