Marshall Field's Wholesale Store,

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

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, sometimes referred to as the Marshall Field's Warehouse Store, was a landmark seven-story building designed by

Henry Hobson Richardson Henry Hobson Richardson, FAIA (September 29, 1838 – April 27, 1886) was an American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one ...

. Intended for the wholesale business of Field's eponymously named department store, it opened on June 20, 1887, encompassing the block bounded by Quincy, Franklin, Adams and Wells Streets, near the location of the

Chicago Board of Trade Building The Chicago Board of Trade Building is a 44-story, Art Deco skyscraper located in the Chicago Loop, standing at the foot of the LaSalle Street canyon. Built in 1930 for the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), it has served as the primary trading v ...

Architecture

The building was commissioned in 1885 by legendary merchant

Marshall Field Marshall Field (August 18, 1834January 16, 1906) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores. His business was renowned for its then-exceptional level of quality and customer ...

. H. H. Richardson is renowned for his designs in the

Romanesque revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

style, to which he has given the name Richardsonian Romanesque. The Marshall Field Store demonstrates his ability to adapt this style to a modern commercial premises. The building was supported by an interior framing of wood and iron, and was clad in a rusticated exterior of stonework giving the appearance of an Italian Romanesque

palazzo A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

. The exterior design, in which the windows were contained by massive Romanesque arches, gave the impression of having four levels, but in fact there were seven floors and a sunken basement. The large arches allowed for thinner structural members between them and greater window space than if the windows were set into the solid masonry.

Marshall Field and Company Marshall Field & Company (commonly known as Marshall Field's) was an upscale department store in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in the 19th century, it grew to become a large chain before Macy's, Inc acquired it in 2005. Its eponymous founder, Mar ...

closed the building in 1930 after the opening of the

Merchandise Mart The Merchandise Mart (or the Merch Mart, or the Mart) is a commercial building located in downtown Chicago, Illinois. When it was opened in 1930, it was the largest building in the world, with of floor space. The Art Deco structure is locate ...

, then the world's largest building, which consolidated all company wholesale business under a single roof. The wholesale store was torn down later in that same year.

References

Marshall Field's Commercial buildings completed in 1887 Demolished buildings and structures in Chicago Former buildings and structures in Chicago Henry Hobson Richardson buildings Retail buildings in Illinois Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in Illinois Buildings and structures demolished in 1930 {{Chicago-struct-stub

Architecture

See also

References