The Waterman Building is a historic building on State Street in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Loop Loop or LOOP may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live * Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets * Loop Mobile, an ...

. Designed by Holabird and Roche, construction began in 1919 was completed in 1920.
The American Architect
'. Vol. 115, No. 2263. May 7, 1919. p. 10. Retrieved November 10, 2021. The first floor originally housed the Waterman Pen Company's Chicago store, while Waterman's offices were located on upper floors.New Chicago Home for Waterman
, ''Walden's Stationer and Printer''. Vol. 43, No. 18. April 1920. p. 70. Retrieved November 9, 2021.

History

Illustration of the Waterman Building from National Builder

In 1918, the Waterman Pen Company began leasing the property and initially announced plans to renovate the existing building and replace its facade, at an estimated cost of $100,000. However, Waterman instead built an entirely new building, at a cost of $225,000. Designed by Holabird and Roche, it was the first new building to be built in Chicago's Loop following the start of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The exterior was clad in blue terra cotta and encaustic mosaic panels, while the interior featured

black walnut ''Juglans nigra'', the eastern American black walnut, is a species of deciduous tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae, native to North America. It grows mostly in riparian zones, from southern Ontario, west to southeast South Dakota, south t ...

furnishing and fixtures, a vaulted ceiling decorated in silver and gray, and cork tile flooring.Waterman Open Chicago Building
, ''Walden's Stationer and Printer''. Vol. 44, No. 1. May 1920. p. 108. Retrieved November 11, 2021.L.E. Waterman Co.'s New Chicago Building
, ''The American Stationer and Office Manager''. May 8, 1920. p. 13. Retrieved November 12, 2021. Waterman moved into the building on May 10, 1920. In 1922, the

Chicago Business College The Chicago Business College (founded as the Gondering and Virden Business College in 1888) was a for-profit business school located at 67 Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United Stat ...

began leasing the sixth floor of the building. In 1923, the

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began leasing the building's second floor for $10,000 a year. On October 20, 1938, Three Sisters, a woman's apparel shop, opened its fifth Chicago-area store in the Waterman Building. On February 21, 1952, Mary Jane Shoes opened its store in the building. In the 1960s, the building was home to Stanley Green's, a

kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...

cafeteria and buffet.Loring, Kay. "Chicago's Italian Cuisine Will Tickle Your Palate", ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

''. January 2, 1966. Section 5, p. 10. The cafeteria was located on the ground floor, while the lower floor featured the dining room and cocktail lounge. From 1967 to 2018, the restaurant Beef and Brandy was located on the ground floor, while its bar, the Bar Below, was located on the lower floor.Bauer, Kelly.
Beef and Brandy Being Forced to Leave State Street Location After 51 Years
, ''

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''. November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2021. In 2018, the building was sold and Sonder Corp. intended to renovate it and open a 41 room hotel in the top four stories, with retail on the first two floors.Roeder, David. "Lodging operator Sonder expands Chicago product line", ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...

''. July 11, 2019. However, this plan did not come to fruition, and the building has been again listed for sale.

References

{{reflist 1920 establishments in Illinois Buildings and structures in Chicago Commercial buildings completed in 1920 Projects by Holabird & Root