| Address | 111 N. State Street, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1892 |
| Architect | Daniel H. Burnham & Charles Atwood (1892 original Annex Building); D. H. Burnham & Company (1902 North State Street section, 1906 connecting section, 1907 South State Street section); Graham, Burnham & Co. (1914 North Wabash Avenue addition) |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | November 1, 2005 (Final)City Council Journal of the Proceedings, p. 59918 |
| Neighborhood | Loop |
| Type | Office and commercial building |
| Landmark ID | L-141 |
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“It is the most historically prestigious department store building in Chicago and one of the finest such historic department store buildings in the nation. The earliest portion of the Marshall Field and Company Building, the Marshall Field Annex Building (1892), is a distinctive example of the Italian Renaissance-style in Chicago, while the later portions of the building (built in stages from 1902 to 1914) are excellent examples of the Chicago style, with Classical Revival-style details.”
“Founded and managed by Daniel H. Burnham (1846-1912), it was the first Chicago architectural office to have a substantial nationwide practice, with branch offices in New York and San Francisco and important buildings constructed in cities throughout the United States including Boston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and New Orleans.”
“Marshall Field was the most significant individual Chicago merchant of his day and was regarded as the leading merchant in America. After having created the most successful wholesale dry goods business in the nation, he transformed his business into the largest department store in the world.”
“The Marshall Field and Company Building was the flagship, and the first, department store of Marshall Field and Company, one of the United States' most historically significant retail enterprises and one of the most important to Chicago's economic history.”
“(1914) The Marshall Field and Company Building is significant as the long-time flagship department store of Marshall Field and Company, one of Chicago's best-known and oldest businesses. After having created the most successful wholesale dry goods business in the nation, in 1892 Marshall Field set out to create the finest department store in the world.”
“Field commissioned the architectural firm of renowned architect Daniel H. Burnham to design a great retail palace. Over a period of twenty-two years, the store-a grand architectural statement in a city noted for its architecture-would come to command a full city block on State Street between Randolph and Washington streets in the heart of the Loop's historic retail center.”
“Two large bronze clocks with intricate foliate ornament embellish the State-Randolph and State- Washington corners. The distinctive visual icon was established when the first clock was mounted in the second Singer Building in 1897.”
“A Classical-style cast iron staircase, leading from the first floor to the lower level in the Annex Building, was recently restored. The other, a fine white marble staircase in the south State Street portion of the building, features a gentle sweep that rises to an elegant landing.”
“Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2001. Gilbert, Paul and Charles Lee Bryson. Chicago and Its Makers: A Narrative of Events from the Day of the First White Man to the Inception of the Second World's Fair.”