Group of State Buildings West of the Palace
State buildings at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 were utilized to show off the major resources of each state. Promotion of resources at the Fair was intended to create new channels of trade and display goods to new potential markets. Sometimes, even the structures of the buildings themselves were giant advertisements for a state’s major resources. The interior of the Maine Building was constructed of marble from the state’s own quarries and included a large marble fountain. The roof of the Pennsylvania Building was covered with Philadelphia tin, and the walls were made from Philadelphia pressed brick. Almost all of the materials used to construct the Delaware Building were transported all the way from their native state to Chicago. Many states designed their buildings in representative architectual styles or modeled them to look like famous buildings from their state. Idaho, for example, rather then erecting an elaborate building like many of the older states, attempted to portray the state’s relative newness as an advantage by constructing a more rustic style state building.
Picturesque World’s Fair, An Elaborate Collection of Colored Views—Published with the Endorsement and Approval of George R. Davis, 1894
A VISTA OF STATE BUILDINGS.—Looking southwest from an elevated point about the middle of the north line of the Exposition Grounds, a view was had of a number of the most attractive State Buildings, and an idea obtained of the general appearance of this charming city by itself, which might be called the White City’s great suburb, though, of course, quite as much a part of the Exposition as anything on the grounds. The White City proper was the great group of magnificent white edifices which were placed about the Court of Honor and the waterways, and the term, so far as color went could not apply to the State Buildings, which were of various hues. In the view presented most of the notable State Buildings have a place, though, farther to the left and east, were a number of importance. In the immediate front is the Idaho Building; beyond it, at the left, that of Maryland, then that of Delaware, and still farther away, and on the thoroughfare north of the Art Palace, that of New York. Just to the right of Maryland shows with white prominence the ridged top of a restaurant, and beginning at the foreground again and at the right the Montana Building appears, with most of Utah showing next to it. Beyond, and to the right of the restaurant, are the Arizona, West Virginia, Florida, Kentucky and Missouri buildings, these completing the list of those that show plainly, though the domes of the Illinois and California buildings loom up in the distance. Here was a city in itself, a part of the Fair, which was but a fringe upon its royal garments.
State Buildings Map
Do any records exist for the disposition of the state buildings? That is, who bought them, for how much and what happened to them afterward?