Calumet Building

Calumet Building
Life Span: 1883-1913
Location: 111-17 S. LaSalle
Architect: Burnham & Root

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1884

Calumet Bldg.

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1904
Calumet Bldg.—187 to 191 LaSalle

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1911
Calumet Bldg.—115 S LaSalle

Inter Ocean, July 15, 1883

ELEVEN STORIES RENTED.
At a Tall Figure.
Mortimer & Tapper have rented their tall new building on LaSalle street, south of Monroe, west front declared to be higher than even the Montauk Block—to W. E. Hall & Co. for ten years, at an annual rental at $20,000. The building cost $125,000, while the land was secured many years ago very cheap. Advantageous as the terms are, therefore, to the owners, the renter has good chances to clear $10,000 to $15,000 by sub-letting.

This is the first case in Chicago where an entire building has been leased in this manner to be sub-let. In the older States it is a very common occurrence, and great fortunes have been made in that way.

Inter Ocean, April 15, 1887

The Calumet Building Sold.
Yesterday Bryan Lathrop closed the purchase of the Calumet Bullding, on LaSalle street, for $300,000 cash, for the estate of Nathaniel Thayer, deceased, of Boston. The sellers, Mortimer & Tapper and Amos Grannis, who each owned a third interest, were represented in the deal by E. A Waller. The Calumet Building, Nos 187 to 191 LaSalle street, is a nine-story brick office building, 78×50 feet, with an alley at the south and the Hampshire Block on the north, and directly opposite the Marshall Field lot. Three years ago the building was leased for ten years by W. E. Hale for $20,000 a year, payable in monthly installments, and the lessee days all expenses of water rent, taxes, insurance, repairs. The net rental is 6½ percent on the investment. It is the first Chicago real estate investment ever made by the Thayer estate, which is said to be worth $20,000,000. The Calumet was the second of the tall buildings erected in this city, the first being the Montauk Block on Monroe and adjoining the First National Bank Building, and it is the only first-class office building that has ever been sold in Chicago

Standard Guide to Chicago, 1891

Calumet Building—A magnificent modern office structure, and one of the first of the great buildings erected after the locating of the Board of Trade at the foot of the street. The Calumet would be a more striking piece of architecture to-day if it were not so close to some others which are still more striking.

Rand, McNally & Co.’s Bird’s-Eye Views to Chicago, 1893

The Calumet Building stands at 187-191 La Salle Street, near Adams, on the east side. It was one of the earliest sky-scrapers probably second and was erected in 1883. Its foundations were so large that they drew crowds to view them, furnishing a free and popular entertainment. Here the Hale Elevator Company has its general offices.

Calumet Block

Chicago Tribune, March 28, 1914

LASALLE RELIC TO COME DOWN
Old Calumet Building Will Make Way for Addition to Borland Structure.
It is understood arrangements practically have been closed for the razing of the old Calumet building at 111-119 South La Salle street, 110 feet south of Monroe street, and the erection in its stead of an addition to the eighteen story Borland building at the corner. The Calumet building, which was acquired by Mrs. Harriet B. Borland in 1910 from the Thayer estate for $475,000, has a frontage of 78 feet with a depth of 50 feet. It is a nine story building and one of the La Salle street landmarks.

The proposed new addition will conform in appearance to the corner structure, and it is understood the Central Trust company has arranged to lease the entire ground floor of the structure, which It will occupy with its savings department. The bank will thus be given a La Salle street entrance. The present Borland bullding fronts 110 feet on La Salle, with a depth of 50 feet, so that with the addition it will have a frontage of 188 feet on La Salle.

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