The
Heyworth Building is a
Chicago LandmarkChicago Landmark is a designation of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and other sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, architectural, artistic,...
located at 29 E.
Madison StreetMadison Street is a major east-west thoroughfare in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to human intervention, the Chicago River emptied into Lake Michigan at the present day intersection of Madison Street and Michigan Avenue....
, on the southwest corner of Madison Street and Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.
The building was constructed in 1904 by the architectural firm of
D. H. Burnham & CompanyThe architecture firm of D.H. Burnham and Company, , was the successor to Burnham and Root. The name was changed once John Root died in 1891. Root was the chief consulting architect for the World's Columbian Exposition. After Root's death, Daniel Burnham took that title along with his old title of...
under the commission of Otto Young, a real estate investor and wholesale jeweler. It received its name from the son in law of Otto Young, Lawrence Heyworth, who also supervised construction of the building.
The
Heyworth Building is a
Chicago LandmarkChicago Landmark is a designation of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and other sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, architectural, artistic,...
located at 29 E.
Madison StreetMadison Street is a major east-west thoroughfare in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to human intervention, the Chicago River emptied into Lake Michigan at the present day intersection of Madison Street and Michigan Avenue....
, on the southwest corner of Madison Street and Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.
The building was constructed in 1904 by the architectural firm of
D. H. Burnham & CompanyThe architecture firm of D.H. Burnham and Company, , was the successor to Burnham and Root. The name was changed once John Root died in 1891. Root was the chief consulting architect for the World's Columbian Exposition. After Root's death, Daniel Burnham took that title along with his old title of...
under the commission of Otto Young, a real estate investor and wholesale jeweler. It received its name from the son in law of Otto Young, Lawrence Heyworth, who also supervised construction of the building. Like many other buildings along Wabash Avenue, the Heyworth historically housed watchmakers, jewelers, and associated businesses. This structure was one of the final buildings designed by Frederick P. Dinkelberg at the firm before administration was turned over to Ernest Robert Graham.
The Heyworth stands 19 stories tall with a gross square footage of . Its style strays from the typical designs of Burnham and Root, appearing more rigid and geometrical than their other works done in a classical style. It combined the
Chicago School'sChicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century...
structurally expressive character with decorative appearance common in traditional masonry architecture. The
tapestryTapestry is a form of textile art, woven on a vertical loom. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a loom, and the weft thread is passed back and forth across part or...
-like ornament of the building pairs well with the ornamentation designed by
Louis SullivanLouis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of modernism." He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an inspiration to the Chicago...
on the adjacent
Carson Pirie ScottCarson Pirie Scott & Co., known informally as Carson's, is a chain of traditional department stores that have been in business for over 150 years. Their product price points are targeted to the moderate-to-upscale shopper...
building. The Heyworth is also noted for its intact finely crafted decorative
corniceA cornice is horizontal molded projection that completes a building or wall; or the upper slanting part of an entablature located above the frieze...
, which is an uncommon feature among the other commercial buildings of Chicago. The building was designated a Chicago Landmark on August 30, 2000.
According to a real estate firm that manages the property, the height of the building is listed in various documents as 260, 273, and .
The building was provided an $11 million renovation in 2001. As part of the renovation, the
facadeA facade or façade is generally one side of the exterior of a building, especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
was cleaned and the famous cornice was rebuilt after having undergone a stripping in years past. It is currently the home of
MacCormac CollegeMacCormac College is a private non for profit two year college located in Chicago, Illinois, USA.-References:*...
in Chicago and to the Center for Economic Progress.
See also
- Chicago architecture
The architecture of Chicago has influenced and reflected the history of American architecture. The city of Chicago, Illinois features prominent buildings in a variety of styles by many important architects...