| Address | 400-410 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1921 |
| Architect | Graham, Anderson, Probst and White |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | May 9, 2012 (Final)City Council Journal of the Proceedings, p. 27474 |
| Neighborhood | Near North Side |
| Type | Office and commercial building |
| Landmark ID | L-318 |
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“In 1920, Wrigley also became owner of the National League Chicago Cubs baseball team and changed the name of the team's north side baseball park to “Wrigley Field.” The Wrigley Building was the first large commercial structure in Chicago's central business district to be constructed north of the Chicago River.”
“In addition to his role as president of the Wrigley Company, William Wrigley also served on the Lincoln Park Commission and was director of the First National Bank, First Trust and Savings Bank, Boulevard Bridge Bank, Consumers Company, and the Erie Railway.”
“In 1961, William Wrigley succeeded his father, Philip K. Wrigley, as CEO of the Wrigley Company. During the 1960s and 1970s, the company introduced several innovative products, including Freedent, the first non-stick chewing gum, and Extra Sugar-Free Gum.”
“As the first major commercial structure constructed north of the river, the Wrigley Building inaugurated the rapid commercial development of North Michigan Avenue during the first half of the twentieth century.”
“Although a majority of the terra cotta tiles have been replaced over the years as part of the building's ongoing maintenance program, The building was commissioned by William Wrigley, Jr. to serve as the headquarters for the Wrigley Company, the largest manufacturer of gum products in the world.”
“In 2006, Bill Perez became the Wrigley Company's first CEO and President outside of the Wrigley family. In 2008, Mars, Incorporated acquired the Wrigley Company and transferred all of its non-chocolate confectionary brands to Wrigley.”
“Charles G. Beersman's design for the Wrigley Building combined the Beaux-Arts classicism popularized by the World's Columbian Exposition with elements of contemporary commercial architecture in Chicago and New York to create a building that stood apart from the more conservative designs of many of Graham, Anderson, Probst and White's commissions.”
“Graham, Anderson, Probst and White was one of the most prolific and important architectural firms working in Chicago during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The firm designed many of Chicago's most prominent buildings, including Union Station (1925), the John G. Shedd Aquarium (1929), the Civic Opera Building (1929), and the Merchandise Mart (1930).”
“Charles G. Beersman (1888-1946), one of the firm's most promising young designers, was assigned the commission. In his design of the Wrigley Building, Beersman combined the ideals of the City Beautiful movement, exemplified in the Columbian Expositions' White City, with elements of the modern commercial styles that had emerged in Chicago and New York during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.”
“James Earle Fraser's sculptures of “The Discoverers” and “The Pioneers" on the north pylons were donated by Wrigley. “The Discoverers” depicts Marquette and Joliet, who in 1673 became the first Europeans to travel the Chicago River, and the Native Americans who inhabited the region.”