The West Loop–LaSalle Street Historic District is a historic district centered on LaSalle Street in the western Chicago Loop. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 1, 2013. A boundary increase on July 24, 2017, added two buildings at 330 S. Wells Street and 212 W. Van Buren Street to the district.
The district encompasses Chicago's financial center, which is anchored by the Chicago Board of Trade Building, and also includes several of its major banking institutions including the Federal Reserve bank and several government buildings. Development in the district began in 1873 and, with the exception of a lull during the Great Depression and World War II, has continued through the present day.
Most of the district's buildings are high-rises with at least ten stories, with the tallest being the 49-story One North LaSalle Building. Many of Chicago's prominent architectural firms designed buildings within the district, and the buildings feature styles such as Classical Revival, Chicago School, Art Deco, Romanesque Revival, and International. Significant buildings within the district include the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago City Hall, and several office buildings for large banks and insurance companies.
Buildings and structures
LaSalle Street
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing LaSalle Street and the Chicago River LaSalle Street Bridge 1928 n/a Yes 222 North LaSalle Builders Building 1927 (original) / 1986 (renovation) 26 Yes 221 North LaSalle LaSalle–Wacker Building 1930 41 Yes 203 North LaSalle Loop Transportation Center 1986 27 No 200 North LaSalle 1984 30 No 180 North LaSalle Heitman Centre 1972 40 No 160 North LaSalle Bilandic Building 1924 / 1992 20 Yes 134 North LaSalle Eitel Building 1926 22 Yes 121 North LaSalle City Hall - County Building 1908 / 1911 11 Yes 120 North LaSalle 120 North LaSalle 1991 40 No 100 North LaSalle 100 North LaSalle Street Building 1928 25 Yes 33 North LaSalle Foreman State National Bank Building 1930 38 Yes 30 North LaSalle 30 North LaSalle 1975 43 No 2 North LaSalle 1979 26 No 1 North LaSalle One North LaSalle 1930 49 Yes 10 South LaSalle 10 South LaSalle 1989 37 No 11 South LaSalle Roanoke Building 1915 / 1922 / 1926 (final tower addition) 35 Yes 19 South LaSalle YMCA Building 1893 / 1913 Yes 29 South LaSalle Equitable Life Building 1902 / 1940 12 Yes 39 South LaSalle New York Life Insurance Building 1894 / 1898 / 1903 14 Yes 50 South LaSalle Northern Trust Company Building 1905 / 1928 / 1967 12 Yes 120 South LaSalle State Bank of Chicago 1928 22 Yes 135 South LaSalle Field Building 1934 42 Yes 190 South LaSalle U.S. Bank Building 1987 42 No 208 South LaSalle Continental and Commercial National Bank 1914 20 Yes 209 South LaSalle Rookery Building 1888 / 1992 11 Yes 230 South LaSalle Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago 1922 / 1989 14 Yes 231 South LaSalle Illinois Merchants Bank 1924 20 Yes
Wells Street
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 201 North Wells Trustees System Service Building 1930 28 Yes Lake and Wells Streets Chicago Union Loop Elevated Structure,Quincy station and Clark/Lake station 1897 n/a Yes (excluding Clark/Lake, which was replaced in 1992) 177 North Wells Parking Structure 1987 15 No 122 North Wells / 205 West Randolph Randolph–Wells Building 1915 / 1928 23 Yes 40 North Wells Washington Block 1874 5 Yes 145 South Wells Parking Structure(to be replaced by 20-story tower) 1959 5 Yes 330 South Wells Insurance Center Building 1927 16 Yes
Clark Street
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 6 South Clark 1872 / 1935 4 Yes 16 South Clark Loop Synagogue 1957 Yes 125 South Clark Edison Building 1907 20 Yes
Dearborn Street
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 140 South Dearborn Marquette Building 1895 / 1905 17 Yes
Wacker Drive
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 211 West Wacker Drive Chicago Evening Post Building 1928 19 Yes 205 West Wacker Drive Engineering Building 1928 23 Yes
Randolph Street
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 188 West Randolph Randolph Tower 1929 45 Yes 100 West Randolph James R. Thompson Center 1985 17 No
Washington Street
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 212 West Washington Bell Building 1912 20 Yes 208 West Washington Morton Building 1927 21 Yes 188 West Washington19801 No 180 West Washington Equitable Building 1927 12 Yes 176 West Washington Elks Club Building 1917 14 Yes 175 West Washington Chicago Federation of Musicians Building 1933 / 1949 3 Yes 170 West Washington 1875 / 1952 4 Yes 166 West Washington 1872 / 1930 7 Yes 111 West Washington Burnham Center 1913 21 Yes 77 West Washington Chicago Temple Building 1923 21 Yes
Madison Street
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 123 West Madison Advertising Building 1914 / 1929 22 Yes 120 West Madison 120 Madison Building 1906 / 1963 14 Yes 110 West Madison St. Peter's in the Loop 1953 5 Yes 105 West Madison Loop Center Building 1929 23 Yes
Monroe Street
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 205 West Monroe Williams Building 1898 10 Yes 185 West Monroe Parking Structure 1964 3 No 111 West Monroe Harris Bank complex includingHarris Bank Addition II 1911 / 1974 38 Yes 100 West Monroe 100 West Monroe Building 1927 22 Yes 79 West Monroe Rector Building 1905 / 1924 13 Yes
Adams Street
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 180 West Adams Textile Building 1911 or 1912 8 Yes 172 West Adams Midland Building 1927 22 Yes 172 West Adams Midland Hotel (Chicago) 1938 (hotel conversion) 22 Yes 105 West Adams Clark Adams Building 1927 41 Yes
Jackson Boulevard
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 226 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Building 1905 14 Yes 223 West Jackson Boulevard Brooks Building 1910 12 Yes 216 West Jackson Boulevard Jackson-Quincy Court 1900 / 1931 10 Yes 209 West Jackson Boulevard McKinlock Building 1893 / 1918 12 Yes 200 West Jackson Boulevard 1970 28 No 175 West Jackson Boulevard Insurance Exchange Building 1912 / 1928 21 Yes 141 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago Board of Trade Building 1930 / 1997 44 Yes 111 West Jackson Boulevard Trans Union Building 1961 24 Yes
Van Buren Street
Location Name Year built Stories Contributing 212 West Van Buren Van Buren Building 1893 10 Yes
Works cited
References