Caxton Building
Life Span: 1890-1946
Location: Dearborn, between Van Buren and Harrison streets
Architect: Holabird & Roche
- Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1904
Caxton Bldg.—328 to 324 Dearborn.
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1911
Caxton Bldg.—506 S Dearborn.
The Caxton Building was 12 stories high. Holabird & Roche were the architects. Steel columns were used with grillages of steel beams in the spread foundations.
The original cost of the Caxton Building, including architects’ fees, was 24.858 cents per cubic foot. This building was condemned and removed by the Department of Subways and Superhighways.
Standard Guide to Chicago, 1891
⑥ The Caxton Building deserves our attention. This elegant structure, at 328 to 334 Dearborn street, is one of three buildings of its kind erected in this city. It is thoroughly flre-proof throughout, constructed of steel to beams and girders. Tne walls are of terra-cotta and pressed brick, of the best quality, and the partitions are of hollow tile. The offices are large and commodious and in their plans special care has been taken to finish them in a manner affording the greatest convenience and comfort to the occupants. In order to avoid any interference with occupancy the hydraulic passenger and freight elevators have been placed in the south end of the building. They are of the best pattern, insuring both safety and speed, as well as the greatest convenience to the tenants. The structure has eighty feet frontage on Dearborn street and is twelve stories in height, having three bay windows on each front extending the entire distance from second to the twelfth story.
Rand, McNally & Co.’s Birds’-Eye-Views of Chicago, 1893
The Caxton Building,
At 328-334 Dearborn Street, has frontages of 80 feet through to Custom House Place. This is a great hive of industry with printers, binders, and publishers on each one of its 12 stories. The building rises to a height of 150 feet, and has 3 passenger elevators, which carry 3,000 persons daily. There are 110 offices and 5 stores. The construction is steel, fire-proofing, brick and terra-cotta exterior. Erected in 1890; cost $270,000.
Printing-house Row, from Van Buren Street.
Print portrays faithfully the extraordinary double row of high buildings which lines Dearborn Street between Van Buren and Harrison streets. This is Printing-house Row so called from the large number of printing-offices included within its limits. Among the high structures of this group, described elsewhere, are the ① Old Colony, the ② Girard, the ③ Manhattan, the ④ Monon, the ⑤ Como, the ⑥ Caxton, the ⑦ Pontiac and the ⑧ Ellsworth.
- Printing Industry Tenants
Caxton Building
1908
Caxton on right, Monon on left.
- Caxton Building
Greeley-Carlson Street Atlas of Chicago
1891
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