Reference articles on history, science, culture and more
Encyclopedia

Delaware Building

United States historic place

Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

The Delaware Building is a building in the Chicago Loop built in the massive rebuilding effort after the 1871 Great Chicago Fire. It is significant for being one of the few buildings to maintain its 1870s character, as an Italianate structure, in an area dominated by more modern structures. The building is also notable for its early use of a precast concrete façade. The building was designated a Chicago Landmark on November 23, 1983, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1974.

As built, the building had five floors with a basement. The first two stories were primarily metal and glass to provide storefront windows for displays. In 1889, two additional floors were added, and three bays were removed from the Randolph Avenue façade.

Delaware Building looking northeast, c. 1903
Delaware Building looking northeast, c. 1903
Watch videos about Delaware BuildingExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Delaware Building, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.