Montgomery Ward Company Complex: Difference between revisions
→History: The statue atop the Ward's administration building is a copy of the statue that stood atop the building at 6 M Michigan. That statue was chopped into pieces and sold off tje collectors. The head is currently available at auction I believe Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
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{{Infobox NRHP |
{{Infobox NRHP |
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| name = Montgomery Ward Company Complex |
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| nrhp_type = nhl |
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| designated_other1_name = Chicago Landmark |
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| designated_other1_date = May 17, 2000 (Catalog House only) |
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| designated_other1_abbr = CL |
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| designated_other1_link = Chicago Landmark |
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| designated_other1_color = #aaccff |
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| locmapin = Chicago#Illinois#USA |
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| designated_nrhp_type = June 2, 1978 |
| designated_nrhp_type = June 2, 1978 |
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| image = Montgomery Ward |
| image = Montgomery Ward Company Complex 4-1-22.jpg |
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| caption = |
| caption = The complex in April 2022. |
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| location= [[Chicago, IL]] |
| location = [[Chicago, IL]] |
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| coordinates = {{coord|41|53|49.94|N|87|38|37.02|W|display=inline,title}} |
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| lat_degrees = 41 | lat_minutes = 53 | lat_seconds = 49.94 | lat_direction = N |
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| area = |
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| long_degrees = 87 | long_minutes = 38 | long_seconds = 37.02 | long_direction = W |
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| |
| built = 1907 |
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| built =1907 |
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| added = June 2, 1978 |
| added = June 2, 1978 |
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| governing_body = Private |
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}} |
}} |
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The '''Montgomery Ward Company Complex''' is the former national headquarters of [[Montgomery Ward]], the United States' oldest mail order firm. The property is located along the North Branch of the [[Chicago River]] at 618 W. Chicago Avenue in [[Near North Side, Chicago|Near North Side]], [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. It was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and as a [[National Historic Landmark]] on June 2, 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1753&ResourceType=Building|accessdate=2007-05-10|title=Montgomery Ward Company Complex |
The '''Montgomery Ward Company Complex''' is the former national headquarters of [[Montgomery Ward]], the United States' oldest mail order firm. The property is located along the North Branch of the [[Chicago River]] at 618 W. Chicago Avenue in [[Near North Side, Chicago|Near North Side]], [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. It was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and as a [[National Historic Landmark]] on June 2, 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1753&ResourceType=Building|accessdate=2007-05-10|title=Montgomery Ward Company Complex|publisher=National Park Service|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103060409/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1753&ResourceType=Building|archivedate=2008-01-03}}</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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The two earliest buildings in the complex, the old Administration Building and the Mail Order House, are constructed of reinforced concrete and were designed by [[Richard E. Schmidt]]<ref>Condit, Carl W., |
The two earliest buildings in the complex, the old Administration Building and the Mail Order House, are constructed of reinforced concrete and were designed by [[Richard E. Schmidt]]<ref>Condit, Carl W., "The Chicago School of Architecture: A History of Commercial and Public Building in the Chicago Area 1875-1925", The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1964, c. 1952 p. 186-187</ref> and [[Hugh Garden]], members of the architectural firm of [[Schmidt, Garden and Martin]].<ref name="ChicagoTravelItinerary">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/chicago/c3.htm|title=Chicago Travel Itinerary|date=2007-07-20|work=A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> |
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The {{convert|400000|sqft|m2| |
The {{convert|400000|sqft|m2|adj=on}}, eight-story Administration Building served as the company's headquarters until 1974, and features sword and torch motifs on the base and vertical piers that rise uninterrupted, culminating in a parapet with motifs similar to the base.<ref name="NewRoles">{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904E7DF103AF933A0575AC0A9679C8B63|title=New Roles for Montgomery Ward Site in Chicago |date=2007-07-20|work=New York Times | first=Robert | last=Sharoff | accessdate=2010-05-13}}</ref> A four-story tower was added in 1929 on the northeast corner of the building, with a pyramid roof. |
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{{Anchor|The Spirit of Progress}}[[File:Spirit-of-Progress-01.jpg|thumb|left|''The Spirit of Progress'']] |
{{Anchor|The Spirit of Progress}}[[File:Spirit-of-Progress-01.jpg|thumb|left|''The Spirit of Progress'']] |
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Crowning the roof of the Administration Building is a {{convert|22.5|ft|m| |
Crowning the roof of the Administration Building is a {{convert|22.5|ft|m|adj=on}} replica of the bronze statue that was originally placed on top of the old Montgomery Ward Building on [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]].<ref name="ChicagoTravelItinerary"/> An adaption of an earlier statue that had topped both [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York and the Agriculture Building at the 1893 [[World's Columbian Exposition]] in Chicago was made for the building by the same creators, [[Mullins of Salem, Ohio|W. H. Mullins Manufacturing Company]] of [[Salem, Ohio]] and was sculpted by [[Augustus Saint-Gaudens]]. The statue is called ''The Spirit of Progress,'' and depicts the goddess [[Diana (mythology)|Diana]], dressed in flowing robes, balancing on a globe, and holding a torch in her right hand and a [[caduceus]] in her left hand.<ref name="NewRoles"/><ref>[https://chicagology.com/goldenage/goldenage015/spiritofprogress/ "The Spirit of Progress Story"], ''Chicagology''. Retrieved July 15, 2016.</ref> |
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Forty feet north of the Administration Building is the {{convert|2000000|sqft|m2| |
Forty feet north of the Administration Building is the {{convert|2000000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} Mail Order House, also known as the Catalog House, that was the heart of Montgomery Ward's operations. Completed in 1908, the eight-story building was painted white and capped with a flat roof, with an interior that contained miles of chutes, conveyors, and storage lofts within ceiling heights ranging from 12 to {{convert|17|ft|m}}. The west facade, following a bend in the river, is almost {{convert|1100|ft|m}} long and a single floor covers {{convert|6|acre|m2}}. At one time the building had its own post office branch and a ground-floor shipping platform that could accommodate 24 railroad freight cars.<ref name="NewRoles"/> The Catalog House was designated a [[Chicago Landmark]] on May 17, 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/W/Wards.html|title=Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalog House|publisher=City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division|year=2003|accessdate=2007-05-10}}</ref> |
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In later years, Montgomery Ward and Company added several warehouses and parking structures, followed by a 26-story office building in 1972, designed by architect [[Minoru Yamasaki]], who also designed the former [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] towers in [[New York City]].<ref name="ChicagoTravelItinerary"/><ref name="NewRoles"/> |
In later years, Montgomery Ward and Company added several warehouses and parking structures, followed by a 26-story office building in 1972, designed by architect [[Minoru Yamasaki]], who also designed the former [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] towers in [[New York City]].<ref name="ChicagoTravelItinerary"/><ref name="NewRoles"/> |
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==Currently== |
==Currently== |
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After the bankruptcy of Montgomery Ward in 2001, the earliest buildings were converted into upscale condominiums. The project met the Secretary of the Interior's Standards{{clarify|date=July 2013}} with the exception of the balconies.<ref name="LandmarkProgram">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1753&ResourceType=Building|title=National Historic Landmarks Program|date=2007-07-20|work=Montgomery Ward Company Complex|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> In 2004, the office tower also was converted to condominiums, now called [[The Montgomery (Chicago)|The Montgomery]]. |
After the bankruptcy of Montgomery Ward in 2001, the earliest buildings were converted into upscale condominiums. The project met the Secretary of the Interior's Standards{{clarify|date=July 2013}} with the exception of the balconies.<ref name="LandmarkProgram">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1753&ResourceType=Building|title=National Historic Landmarks Program|date=2007-07-20|work=Montgomery Ward Company Complex|publisher=National Park Service|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103060409/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1753&ResourceType=Building|archivedate=2008-01-03}}</ref> In 2004, the office tower also was converted to condominiums, now called [[The Montgomery (Chicago)|The Montgomery]]. |
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The Mail Order House building is now home to restaurants |
The Mail Order House building is now home to restaurants,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CREB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=11C6225356B8F0B8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB579A3BDA420|title=Frites of strength - Brasserie Ruhlmann amps up the glam factor for Chicago steakhouses |accessdate=2009-01-15|date=2007-10-18|publisher=[[Newsbank]]|work=[[RedEye]]|author=LaMorte, Chris}}</ref> the [[Big Ten Network]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=120175A7B0569E58&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB579A3BDA420|title=Prop shops' pivotal role - Proprietary trading firms, which deal in options and futures with their private funds, are relatively anonymous but influential |accessdate=2009-01-15|date=2008-04-16|publisher=[[Newsbank]]|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|author=Boak, Joshua}}</ref> Wrigley, Echo Global Logistics, David Barton Gym,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=10CD9F421AE6BFD0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB579A3BDA420|title=A gym with a fireplace and street cred|accessdate=2009-01-15|date=2005-09-25|publisher=[[Newsbank]]|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|author=Donahue, Wendy}}</ref> Allyu Spa, [[Groupon]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.groupon.com/blog/cities/behind-the-deals-groupon-headquarters/|title=Behind the Deals: Groupon Headquarters|accessdate=2011-05-25|date=2011-01-18|author=Lux, Thea}}</ref> Kingsbury Yacht Club boat slips, [[InnerWorkings]], [[Uptake (business)|Uptake]], [[Dyson (company)|Dyson]] Inc., and 298 luxury condominiums. Bankers Life & Casualty's Chicago offices were also located here for several years, until Groupon's expansion led Bankers to move in late 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globest.com/news/1912_1912/chicago/groupon-expands-at-600-w.-chicago-avenue-complex310121-1.html |title=Groupon Expands at 600 W. Chicago Avenue Complex - Daily News Article |website=www.globest.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517053816/http://www.globest.com/news/1912_1912/chicago/groupon-expands-at-600-w.-chicago-avenue-complex310121-1.html |archive-date=2011-05-17}} </ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[National Historic |
*[[List of National Historic Landmarks in Illinois]] |
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*[[Montgomery Ward]] |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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{{commons category|Montgomery Ward Company Complex}} |
{{commons category|Montgomery Ward Company Complex}} |
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* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/chicago/c3.htm National Park Service, Chicago Travel Itinerary] |
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/chicago/c3.htm National Park Service, Chicago Travel Itinerary] |
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{{Montgomery Ward|state=autocollapse}} |
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{{Registered Historic Places}} |
{{Registered Historic Places}} |
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{{Chicago}} |
{{Chicago}} |
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[[Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1908]] |
[[Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1908]] |
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[[Category:Office buildings in Chicago |
[[Category:Office buildings in Chicago]] |
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[[Category:Residential condominiums in Chicago |
[[Category:Residential condominiums in Chicago]] |
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[[Category:Retail company headquarters in the United States]] |
[[Category:Retail company headquarters in the United States]] |
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[[Category:Montgomery Ward]] |
[[Category:Montgomery Ward]] |
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[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in |
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in Chicago]] |
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[[Category:Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Chicago |
[[Category:Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Chicago]] |
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[[Category:Warehouses on the National Register of Historic Places]] |
[[Category:Warehouses on the National Register of Historic Places]] |
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[[Category:1908 establishments in Illinois]] |
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Latest revision as of 00:32, 18 May 2023
Montgomery Ward Company Complex | |
![]() The complex in April 2022. | |
Location | Chicago, IL |
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Coordinates | 41°53′49.94″N 87°38′37.02″W / 41.8972056°N 87.6436167°W |
Built | 1907 |
Architect | Schmidt, Garden and Martin |
Architectural style | Chicago |
NRHP reference No. | 78001125 [1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | June 2, 1978 |
Designated NHL | June 2, 1978 |
Designated CL | May 17, 2000 (Catalog House only) |
The Montgomery Ward Company Complex is the former national headquarters of Montgomery Ward, the United States' oldest mail order firm. The property is located along the North Branch of the Chicago River at 618 W. Chicago Avenue in Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a National Historic Landmark on June 2, 1978.[2]
History
[edit]The two earliest buildings in the complex, the old Administration Building and the Mail Order House, are constructed of reinforced concrete and were designed by Richard E. Schmidt[3] and Hugh Garden, members of the architectural firm of Schmidt, Garden and Martin.[4]
The 400,000-square-foot (37,000 m2), eight-story Administration Building served as the company's headquarters until 1974, and features sword and torch motifs on the base and vertical piers that rise uninterrupted, culminating in a parapet with motifs similar to the base.[5] A four-story tower was added in 1929 on the northeast corner of the building, with a pyramid roof.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Spirit-of-Progress-01.jpg/220px-Spirit-of-Progress-01.jpg)
Crowning the roof of the Administration Building is a 22.5-foot (6.9 m) replica of the bronze statue that was originally placed on top of the old Montgomery Ward Building on Michigan Avenue.[4] An adaption of an earlier statue that had topped both Madison Square Garden in New York and the Agriculture Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago was made for the building by the same creators, W. H. Mullins Manufacturing Company of Salem, Ohio and was sculpted by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The statue is called The Spirit of Progress, and depicts the goddess Diana, dressed in flowing robes, balancing on a globe, and holding a torch in her right hand and a caduceus in her left hand.[5][6]
Forty feet north of the Administration Building is the 2,000,000-square-foot (190,000 m2) Mail Order House, also known as the Catalog House, that was the heart of Montgomery Ward's operations. Completed in 1908, the eight-story building was painted white and capped with a flat roof, with an interior that contained miles of chutes, conveyors, and storage lofts within ceiling heights ranging from 12 to 17 feet (5.2 m). The west facade, following a bend in the river, is almost 1,100 feet (340 m) long and a single floor covers 6 acres (24,000 m2). At one time the building had its own post office branch and a ground-floor shipping platform that could accommodate 24 railroad freight cars.[5] The Catalog House was designated a Chicago Landmark on May 17, 2000.[7]
In later years, Montgomery Ward and Company added several warehouses and parking structures, followed by a 26-story office building in 1972, designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed the former World Trade Center towers in New York City.[4][5]
Currently
[edit]After the bankruptcy of Montgomery Ward in 2001, the earliest buildings were converted into upscale condominiums. The project met the Secretary of the Interior's Standards[clarification needed] with the exception of the balconies.[8] In 2004, the office tower also was converted to condominiums, now called The Montgomery.
The Mail Order House building is now home to restaurants,[9] the Big Ten Network,[10] Wrigley, Echo Global Logistics, David Barton Gym,[11] Allyu Spa, Groupon,[12] Kingsbury Yacht Club boat slips, InnerWorkings, Uptake, Dyson Inc., and 298 luxury condominiums. Bankers Life & Casualty's Chicago offices were also located here for several years, until Groupon's expansion led Bankers to move in late 2011.[13]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "Montgomery Ward Company Complex". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2008-01-03. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
- ^ Condit, Carl W., "The Chicago School of Architecture: A History of Commercial and Public Building in the Chicago Area 1875-1925", The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1964, c. 1952 p. 186-187
- ^ a b c "Chicago Travel Itinerary". A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary. National Park Service. 2007-07-20.
- ^ a b c d Sharoff, Robert (2007-07-20). "New Roles for Montgomery Ward Site in Chicago". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
- ^ "The Spirit of Progress Story", Chicagology. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
- ^ "Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalog House". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. 2003. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
- ^ "National Historic Landmarks Program". Montgomery Ward Company Complex. National Park Service. 2007-07-20. Archived from the original on 2008-01-03.
- ^ LaMorte, Chris (2007-10-18). "Frites of strength - Brasserie Ruhlmann amps up the glam factor for Chicago steakhouses". RedEye. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
- ^ Boak, Joshua (2008-04-16). "Prop shops' pivotal role - Proprietary trading firms, which deal in options and futures with their private funds, are relatively anonymous but influential". Chicago Tribune. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
- ^ Donahue, Wendy (2005-09-25). "A gym with a fireplace and street cred". Chicago Tribune. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
- ^ Lux, Thea (2011-01-18). "Behind the Deals: Groupon Headquarters". Retrieved 2011-05-25.
- ^ "Groupon Expands at 600 W. Chicago Avenue Complex - Daily News Article". www.globest.com. Archived from the original on 2011-05-17.
References
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Commercial buildings completed in 1908
- Office buildings in Chicago
- Residential condominiums in Chicago
- Retail company headquarters in the United States
- Montgomery Ward
- National Historic Landmarks in Chicago
- Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Chicago
- Warehouses on the National Register of Historic Places
- 1908 establishments in Illinois
- Chicago Landmarks