Traders’ Building
Life Span: 1885-1937
Location: 253-261 La Salle street
Architect:: Burnham & Root
Inter Ocean, April 5, 1885
Architects Burnham & Root designed the Traders’ Building, and it it is one of a large group in the new Board of Trade district that can claim this high pedigree.
Chicago Tribune, April 19, 1885
THE TRADERS BUILDING,
A Brief Description of This Magnificent Structure So Fast Filling with Commission Firms.
There is no edifice in the city that better meets the requirements of those wanting offices than the Traders Building on Pacific avenue, just opposite the Board of Trade. It is eight stories high, forty feet front, and absolutely fire-proof. Every office is well lighted from without, and in addition there is an interior court 27×56 feet, surmounted by a delight of glass and iron, and surrounded on each floor by galleries made entirely of iron. Every room is furnished with a steam radiator, gas grate, and all modern improvements. There are two swift elevators in the centre of the building and two staircases each about five feet wide, starting from a wide hall. The vestibule will be finely wainscoted with Georgia marble and decorated in bronze and colors. The entrance is of cut stone, the jambs being elaborately carved and molded in the form of shafts which are surmounted by the arch. The transom has a cunningly-designed grill of wrought iron. These are some of the features challenging attention in the lower part of the structure, which is more elaborate than the upper stories, but everything has been planned with a view of getting as much light and ventilation as possible. The building impresses one as if once beautiful and adapted to business purposes. It is but a few steps from the new Board of Trade, and it would be impossible to find in the city a more convenient l6 location for commission-men. It will be ready for occupancy May 1, and already about sixty offices have been engaged by Board of Trade firms. Mr. J. Foster Rhodes, 72 Commercial Board Building, has charge of the renting of the offices and he is represented at the building.
The plumbing, gas-fitting, and gas-fixtures throughout the building are to the credit of the old-established house of E. Baggot, wholesale and retail dealer at Nos. 193, 195, and 197 East Madison street and No. 133 and 134 Fifth avenue. For twenty-four years he has kept ere pace with the rise of Chieago, and stil asth foremost among our plumbers and gasites He leaves bebind him onis first-elass worst employing only skilled workmen and by gith his contracts bis personal supervision.
A model of economy, beauty, and cleanliness is in every room of this building in the shape of a gas grate furnished by the Goodwin Gas Stove & Meter Company, 76 Dearborn street. This device is soon to be an essential to all well-appointed residences and office-buildings. Their use means a great saving in chimney construction, space occupied in the room and expense of fuel. They are powerful heaters, strong ventilators, models of cleanliness and artistic in appearance. They need only to be seen to be appreciated.
The prevailing system of steam-heating and ventilating in this neighborhood and the new modern structures of other districts is the single-pipe system introduced by Messrs. Hay & Prentice of 34 and 36 Canal street, corner of Washington. Their radiators are powerful heaters and very simple and certain to manage.
The Montauk, the Insurance Exchange, Imperial, the Parker, and other buildings under construction will bear good testimony of reliability and efficiency.
The brick in this building was furnished by the Chicago Anderson Pressed-Brick Company, which fact is a guarantee that its wall material has staying qualities as well as ornamental. Mr. F. L. Blake is their secretary, at 103 La Salle street.
The mason-work of this and other first-class buildings in this neighborhood was done by John Griffiths, mason and building contractors, Room 50 Lakeside Building.
The Pioneer Fire-Proof Construction Company filled the contract for fire-proofing. Therefore the fire risk and underwriters’ rates are at a minimum. Their office and salesroom are at the corner of Sixteenth and Clark streets.
Chicago Tribune, January 3, 1886
Traders’ Building, Pacific avenue, near Jackson streetPractically fire-proof, basement of rock-faced Bedford stone; superstructure of pressed brick and terra-cotta; eight stories high; 80×90 feet.
Rand McNally’s Bird’s Eye Views of Chicago, 1893
The Traders’ Building, at 6 to 12 Pacific Avenue, opposite the Board of Trade, is eight stories high, and is a good steel building of the pattern of 1884. Two elevators carry about 4,000 persons each day.
Chicago Central Business and Office Directory, 1908
TRADERS’ SAFE AND TRUST BUILDING
253-261 La Salle Street, near Jackson Boulevard
This office building is most conveniently located, directly opposite the Chicago Board of Trade building, and close to Jackson Boulevard. It is easy of access from any of the street car lines and within a block of the elevated loop. The building is of Bedford stone and pressed brick, eight stories in height, and is well lighted and ventilated. For information regarding offices apply to Room 413, Office of the Building.
Chicago Tribune, July 26, 1936
Lydy to Have $150,000 Unit in La Salle St.
Two of the oldest landmarks in the financial district will make way for what Is asserted will be one of the largest and most modern structures in the country devoted to the parking industry— a $150,000 air conditioned office building for the R. G. Lydy Parking company.
The buildings to be, wrecked are the eight story Traders building at 305-15 South La Salle street and the four story Imperial building at 304-12 South Clark street, both just two years past the half century mark in age.
On the south part of this site, which fronts 100 feet on both La Salle and Clark, with a depth of 213 feet, Richard G. Lydy, president of the firm bearing his name, will erect a two story building from plans by Loebl & Schlossman. Wreckers will start razing the present buildings on Sept. 1, and work will start on the new office building about Oct. 1.
Space for 600 Cars.
The north section of the site, 80 by 213 feet, will be used for open air parking, and in addition a lower level parking unit, 100 by 213 feet, under both the street level parking space and the building, will provide space for 600 cars.
The office building, 213 feet long, extending from La Salle to Clark, will be only twenty feet wide on the first floor. It will have shops at both ends on Clark and La Salle. The balance of the first Boor will be used for parking and ramps to the lower level, as well as elaborate lounges and rest rooms for patrons.
The entire second floor, which will be seven feet wider than the first floor, will be devoted to the general offices of the Lydy company. The personal offices of R. G. Lydy will occupy the center tower section, which will be two stories high.
Paid $203 In 1833.
A feature of this 20 foot high suite of offices will be a large stained glass window from the old J. V. Farwell residence. It will be placed at one end of a small auditorium used for personnel work.
The block of land which Includes this site was purchased for $203 from the state of Illinois in 1833 by Walter L. Newberry, whose name the Newberry library bears. The present buildings were erected in 1881.
Claude A. Welles, formerly manager of the Merchandise Mart and now vice president of the Lydy concern, represented his firm in the negotiation of a twenty year lease on the property. Albert H. Wetten & Co. were brokers for both parties..
Traders’ Building
Robinson Fire Insurance Map
1886
Traders’ Building
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
1906
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