McNeil Building

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McNeil Buliding, 325 W. Jackson Building
Life Span: 1904/1911-(1950 to 1990)
Location: SE corner of Jackson boulevard and Market street
Architect: Holabird & Roche

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1906

McNeill Building.

Lakeside Business Directory of the City of Chicago, 1907
McNeill Building.—242-246 Jackson boul.

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1911
McNeill Building.—321-323 Jackson boul.

Chicago Tribune, December 10, 1903

The George A. Fuller Construction company clashed with the carpenters in the morning and gave up its wood contract on the new McNeil building, Franklin street and Jackson boulevard, rather than sign an agreement with the men. The union sought the employment of none but union men. The contract will go to the A. Campbell company of Chicago.

Fireproof Magazine, February, 1904

Fireproof Chicago
Among the many conspicuous fireproof buildings now nearing completion in the downtown district of Chicago, two magnificent structures of perfect fireproof type are the new McNeill Building, 240-246 Jackson boulevard, and the Hamilton Building, corner Van Buren and Clark streets.

The former will be used as a wholesale merchandise building and the latter will be occupied by Louis Weber & Co. as a general department store.

Mess’s. Holabird & Roche are the architects for both structures, the Wells Brothers Company, the general contractors for the latter building , and the Geo. A. Fuller Company for the first named.

Both of these structures are of the steel skeleton frame with encasement of hollow tile.

The McNeill Building covers a ground area of 90xIOO feet and is ten stories in height. The front is finished in dark brown terra cotta up to the sill course of the third story, above which point a rich dark shade of paving brick is used for the exterior facing.

Both floors and roof construction are formed of ten-inch hollow tile arches be tween ten-inch I-beams, spaced about five feet six inches centers.

All columns, girders and lintels are fully covered and protected with hollow tile fireproofing.

Not one single piece of steel in the entire structure is left without complete encasement of burnt clay.

The partitions also are of hollow tile, the thickness being proportioned according to the height of the respective stories in which they are placed. Three-inch tile is employed in the division partitions between offices and sub-divisions therein for all heights less than twelve feet; and four-inch for all stories greater than twelve-foot elevation and from that up to sixteen feet. Four-inch tile is also used for all corridors, hall passages, etc.

The boiler stack of the McNeill Building is of steel construction. A plan of this is shown in accompanying illustration. The stack is lined on the inside with fire brick throughout its full height, the surrounding wall protection is formed of double air space, six-inch hollow tile, the effect of which is to confine the heat during its passage within the most perfect fire and heat proof enclosure.

The Hamilton Building, located at Van Buren and Clark streets, occupies a ground area of 100X100 feet and rises five stories from the curb. The sixth story is so constructed as to form a temporary roof, the intention being to erect additional superstructure at a later date.

The street sides of the Hamilton Building are beautifully finished in a highly glazed white enamel terra cotta. The general construction of this building is similar in most all important details to that of the McNeill Building, both of which are regarded as perfect models of high-class fireproof construction.

It is characteristic of the distinguished firm of architects, Messrs. Holabird and Roche, who have designed and supervised the construction of many of the highest type of fireproof buildings in Chicago, that no sacrifice or alternative methods are or ever have been employed in constructions with which they have been identified, and it is a subject of congratulation not only to the owners and to the architects of these magnificent specimens of fireproof building, but to the public as well that these high principles of thorough standard construction have been kept constantly in view and steadily adhered to.

The cover of the previous issue of this journal, lower panel, exhibits at a glance the many and striking achievements of our leading architects in the erection of the many superb fireproof types of right building, which have made Chicago famous as the pioneer and leader of American building reform.

One glance at the line of towering monuments to the practicability, utility and permanency of this character of construction cannot fail to afford gratification alike to the reader and to those who have done the work.

The gradual transformation of the district, known in Chicago as “the loop,” within the past few years has been really marvelous and the record of full credit for it all can never be complete without the names of those whose conscientious discharge of professional responsibility has made it possible .

Inter Ocean, December 17, 1910

The McNeil building, at the southeast corner of Jackson boulevard and Market street, is to be improved by the addition of a building of practically the same size and style. This is to be of high grade, skeleton fireproof construction, and will front 89 feet on the boulevard by 100 feet on Market street. It will be ten stories and basement bigh, with provisions for two additional stories, and will cost $275,000.

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