John Quincy Adams Building

John Quincy Adams Building¹, Belford, Clarke & Co. Building
Life Span: 1883-1886
Location: 315 Wabash, NW corner of Wabash avenue and Congress street
Architect: Samuel Treat & Frederick Foltz

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1884

Belford, Clarke & Co..

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1885
Belford, Clarke & Co.. A. Belford, pres; J. Clarke, sec; M. A. Donohue, treas; pubs, 315 to 321 Wabash av.

Inter Ocean, February 24, 1883

BY THE ARCHITECTS.
Treat & Foltz have planned a six-story brick and stone block, for wholesale and retail, at Congress street and Wabash avenue, 81×110 feet in dimensions, the price is to be $125,000; for Mr. John Quincy Adams. The street front will be almost entirely of glass—glass and iron; the trimmings will be of Berlin stone, and the cornices of terra cotta. The floors will be of pine. The builders are not selected.

Chicago Tribune, March 25, 1883

The permit issued yesterday to John Quincy Adams for a six-story business building at the corner of Wabash avenue and Congress street, to cost $1,00,000, is for the structure described several weeks ago in The Tribune. The building will be of Chicago pressed brick with stone trimmings, The building will be constructed with special reference to light. Considerable iron will be employed in the construction, and the building will be practically fireproof. Treat & Folz are the architects and they have been instructed to make the building a superior one in every way.

Chicago Tribune, April 15, 1883

Building Notes.
Excavation for the fine six-story business block that Mr. John Quincy Adams will erect on the lot at the northwest corner of Wabash avenue and Congress street, and which was described several weeks ago, was also begun early in the week.

Chicago Tribune, May 6, 1883

Donahue & Henneberry have rented the new building being built at Congress street and Wabash avenue for $18,000 and $20,000 for five years. The foundations, 80×150 feet, are not even started—as an incident which shows the drift of values southward, and the demand for first-class accommodations.

Chicago Tribune, May 27, 1883

TO RENT—STORES, OFFICES &c.
Northwest corner Wabash and Congress-st., large store with basement, size 80×170 feet, in new building now building.

Chicago Tribune, June, 26, 1883

John Quincy Adams’ new business building at the northwest corner of Wabash avenue and Congress street is nearing its intended altitude, and will be ready for tenants early in the fall. The structure is of Chicago pressed brick and iron, with a large amount of glass from the ground to the top floor, and will be one of the best-appearing buildings on Wabash avenue.

Chicago Tribune, November 4, 1883

A Conundrum for Architects and Builders.
Toward the completIon of the Adams Building, a six-story structure on Wabash avenue and Congress street, a singular discovery was made by the painters, while preparing the inside iron columns for painting. The application of sandpaper developed a. sand-hole, out of which they reported quite a quantity of water was token. This discovery was reported to the architects, Messrs. Treat & Foltz, who at once made a thorough investigation of this strange phenomenon. It may be well to explain tor the for the information of those who desire to study the case the construction of the interior.

The columns supporting the several floors are of hollow cast-iron, being cast on a core in two lengths, which is removed as soon as the casting is taken from the mold.

Upon the columns are placed bolster for carrying the floor-girders. Upon these rests a quill or pintile having a cap to carry the column above. In the centre of the bolster a three-inch hole is cast, simply to save metal, but it Is entirely covered by the ends of the girder. The contractor for the iron work was called and directed to tap the column. The first opening was made with a small drill about eighteen inches from the floor, hut no water or even moisture was found. The second tap was made at a height of seven feet, and water vas found having a sufficient head to throw a stream a distance of three or four feet from the base of the column. A pail was placed to catch the water, and at least six gallons was drawn off. A second column was served in a like manner, with the same result. The question arises: How came the water in the column? There were few showers during the progress of the work—none of them severe—and no continued storms. No water was used on any or the floors above the basement until the building was plastered, and all the columns were placed before the brick walls were even to a height level with their bases. After several weeks of study the architects have concluded to give up the conundrum. No prize is offered and no chromos will be distributed, but a satisfactory explanation would be of interest to the profession.

Chicago Tribune, December 9, 1883

Messrs. Treat & Foltz erected a substantial six-story business building on Wabash avenue, at the northwest corner of Congress street, on the site of Aiken’s old theatre, at an expense of $100,000, for Mr. John Quincy Adams. The structure is practically fire-proof, and was built with special reference to light and air. It is rented for a term of years.

Chicago Tribune, September 11, 1884

Messrs. Donohue & Henneberry, business as printers and binders at Nos. 315-321 Wabash avenue, whose names have been mentioned in connection with the defunct Catholic Publishing Company, have owned some stock in the company as individuals, but have had no connection whatever with it as a firm.

Inter Ocean, May 27, 1886

One of the most destructive fires that has occurred in Chicago in years took place yesterday morning when the large publishing house of Belford, Clarke & Co. was burned to the ground. The alarm was sounded about 4:30 o’clock by the mercurial apparatus in the headquarters of the fire insurance patrol. When the boys on the big red wagon arrived on the scene they found the first three stories in flames and saw that a tremendous loss was inevitable. An alarm to the fire department was at once turned in, at 4:40 o’clock, and then the patrolmen went to work to cover with their tarpaulins the books, etc., on the first floor.

By the time they had succeeded in doing this the flames had eaten well into the fifth story, and and the heat was intense Marshal Musham, with six engines, responded to the alarm, and as soon as he saw the condition of affairs, sent in a second and third alarm combined, bringing out twelve more engines and a number of trucks. This was at 4:52½ o’clock. The fire was burning at this time with fearful rapidity, and the great iron shutters that inclosed the windows in the rear of the building began to warp. At 5:18 o’clock a special call for ten engines was sent in and about thirty steamers were soon at work, The firemen had streams of water playing on the flames from every direction, and kept up the fight for over an hour. It was evident, from the start, however, that nothing could be saved in the building, and the firemen had their hands full in preventing the spread of the conflagration. The immense quantity of oils and inks in the lithographing and printing departments, and the great quantity of books and paper

Burned With Such Rapidity
that a draft was crated that carried the brands down along Michigan avenue, setting fire to W. C. Fahrman’s carriage ware rodse, No. 300 Michigan avenue, and to the roofs of several houses. These little blazes were extinguished by the special details, and the men returned to work at the base of the trouble.

In about twenty minutes after the department arrived the great plate-glass windows on the first and second floors were cracked by the intense heat, and the buildings on the east side of Wabash avenue, notably the Hotel Brunswick, began to suffer. The glass in nearly all the windows was broken, and the woodwork was fired, but the flames were easily extinguished.

On the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of the building were the offices of Donohue, Henneberry & Co., R. S. Peale Co., Van Antwerp & Co., publishers, and the Central Lithographing Company These establishments had a tremendous amount of machinery on their floors. there being twenty-three cylinder presses, one a fine Walter Scott map-printing press, and two Gordon presses. On the top floor was the bindery and electrotype foundry with a great deal of heavy machinery, and 1t was soon seen that the floors would give way, and the firemen and trucks were kept out of the way as far as possible. In about a half hour after the department began work on the building the top floor fell in and, of course, carried the remainder of the floors down with it, notwithstanding the fact that the building was strongly supported by iron girders and pillars. With the removal of the floors, and the consequent support of the walls, they became shaky and soon the entire south wall, with the exception of about twenty feet at the southwest corner, fell outward into Congress street: with mighty crash. The building was about one hundred feet high, and the

Falling Wall Filled The Street
clear to the building line on the south side, smashing in the wall of a small frame structure on the corner occupied as a candy shop. Shortly after this the upper half of the west wall feil outward into the alley, a large portion of the debris striking the top of an apartment building at No. 48 Congress street, smashing in two floors. Hook and ladder truck No. 1, which was at the corner of the alley, was caught under the debris and badly smashed, and Truckmen Breen, Cook and Langdon were cut and bruised by falling brick and glass. Pipeman Scully was bruised by the hose, and Captain Joe Kenyon, of engine company No. 1, fell in front of a hose-cart, which ran over his left leg, breaking the limb. These are all the casualties reported. With the side and rear walls gone, the front wall felt lonely. and it soon crumbled, the upper half falling into the ruins, and the lower half into Wabash avenue, overlapping the cable tracks. This relieved the firemen from apprehension, as the north wall was a part of Deimel Bros.’ building, and was not injured, though the roof of that building was damaged somewhat by fire, and the stock by the heat and by water.

The ruins at this time presented a picturesque sight. At the northwest and southwest corners a tall angle of brick rose above the surrounding buildings and looked serenely down upon a blackened mass of timber, iron girders, iron pillars, steam and gas pipes, twisted and warped by the fierce heat through which they had passed. The firemen climbed on top of the smoking mass, and for hours played on it with a number of streams.

In the basement of the building was an immense stock of paper and books, and these smoldered and sent up a great volume of smoke until late in the afternoon. Thousands of people were attracted to the scene, and a large force of police were required to keep them back out of the way of the firemen.

The building was a six story and basement structure, and belonged to John Quincy Adams. It was built in 1883 for Donohue. Henneberry & Co., and was by them sublet to the other parties. The structure had eighty feet front on Wabash avenue, and was 180 feet deep and about 100 feet high. It cost $125,000, and was insured for $90,000. The building was of pressed brick, with white stone trimmings, and was a handsome structure.

The origin of the fire is unknown. A. L. Huntley, a colored man, employed by Belford, Clarke & Co., was in the building. and he says that on his last round during the night everything was all right. When he was awakened in the morning the building seemed full of fire and smoke, and he escaped as soon as he could, having only his pantaloons and overcoat as apparel The opinion seems to be general that the blaze began in the engine-room and spread rapidly, owing to the fact that there were several elevator shafts in the building, and these acted as flues, and carried the flames from floor to floor.

Belford, Clarke & Co. occupied the first floor sad basement, and their loss will amount to perhaps $250,000. They had a large stock of books, plates and manuscripts on hand, and the larger portion of them are lost. Many of the plates were stored in the vaults under the sidewalk, and on the north side of the building, and if these are intact the loss will be considerably reduced. The firm had in press, and under way, in Donohue & Henneberry’s. a number of books, among which were the Rev. Dr. G. C. Lorimer’s book on “Social Status,” “The Boston Girl,” an anonymous novel, and other books, the manuscript of which were destroyed.

The valuable steel engravings for illustrating the “Fremont Memoirs” are safe. Mr. Clarke says. The firm had about $100,000 insurance. Mr. Clarke said that they had a duplicate of their stock in New York, and had telegraphed for a consignment, which was on the way, and in a week they would be able to fill orders. The firm has a house in New York, and will not suffer as much as Donohue & Henneberry. This firm did an immense business. they had printed nearly all the books of Beford, Clarke & Co., and many publications of various kinds. Their printing and electrotype and binding machinery, stock, and fixtures were worth about $250,000, and are a total loss. The insurance is about $160,000. The firm also lost had what is known as the “Red Line Series of School Blanks,” embracing school, blanks of all kinds for nearly all the States and Territories. The system was the result of years of labor, and there is nothing of it left, not even a sample of the blanks The firm also had in the basement tremendous stock of paper, all of which is totally destroyed.

The Central Lithographing Company occupied part of the second floor, and had a fine stock and machinery. which Mr. R. Nevers, the manager, says was valued at about $80,000, and was insured for $50,000. This company is identified with Belford, Clarke & Co., Mr. Belford being the President of the company.

R. S. Peale & Co., subscription book publishers, occupied a part of the second floor, and sustain a loss of about $40,000. They have insurance amounting. to about $35,000. This firm is the Western agent for General Grant’s book, but, fortunately, had but few copies on hand. A shipment arrived yesterday from New York, but, of course, was not delivered. The printing for the firm was chiefly done in New York, but there were a good many plates in the vaults here which, if destroyed, will increase their loss.

The loss to outside parties, many of whom have no insurance, is one of the most unsatisfactory features of the disaster. George F. Cram, map publisher. of No. 262 Wabash avenue, had about $30,000 worth of plates in the building and estimates his loss at $25,000, with an insurance of $9,000. Mr. Cram says that they were just printing an edition of 10,000 copies of the “Unrivaled Atlas of the World” and that if these plates are destroyed, they can be replaced inside of sixty days, and they can fill their orders if given a little time. They also had plates of a map of the United States which had been burned once before, and which had now gone up in smoke a second time.

Among other plates destroyed were Washburn’s “Information for, the people,” R. S. Peale & Co.’s “Educator,” L. H. Watkins’ “County History,” L. N. Reed & Co.’s “Health and Home,” A. B. Gehman & Co.’s “Campfire Chats,” W. H. Harrison, Jr.’s “Poultry Culture,” Chapman Bros.’ “Encyclopedia,” Day, Beach & Co.’s “Belden’s Guide,” a book of general information; together with plates, etc., belonging to the Bacchus Publishing Company, the Fairbank & Palmer Publishing Company. M. W. Patterson, and the manuscript and plates for the Scandinavian, the Switchman’s Journal, Literary Life, the Druggist’s Journal, and other publications. The plates for a book on the late riots, by Paul &. Hull, a reporter for a morning paper, were also destroyed, though a small edition of the book had just been issued. These losses make it well-nigh impossible to get at a close estimate of the amount of damage wrought by the fire.

The Brunswick Hotel, on Wabash avenue, directly opposite the burning building, was filled with guests, about sixty-five people occupying rooms in the building. Their first intimation of danger came in the clatter of the fire engines as they hastened to the scene. The cry of “fire” ran through the house and in a moment the corridors were thronged with scantily clad guests seeking a place of safety. It was soon apparent that the hotel was in no immediate danger, and the affrighted lodgers returned to their rooms and hastily donned more suitable attire. By this time the heat from the burning building was so intense that it cracked the glass in the Brunswick’s windows. Immediately the curtains and bedclothes caught fire, and only the prompt action of the firemen in turning a stream of water on the building saved it from destruction. The heat cracked and melted the class in every one of the seventy-four window on the west side of the building, not a single pane of glass escaping. The woodwork of the windows was also badly charred. In addition to these the furniture in the fourteen front rooms was considerably damaged, the loss from this source being about $1,200. The hotel is managed by Henry C. Knill. His losses are fully covered by insurance. The building, which is a part of the Willard Estate, is injured to the extent of $2,500 or $3,000. The south half of the first floor is occupied by the Star Cutter Company. Beyond the breaking of the windows and the scorching of a few lap robes, the company sustained no loss. An idea of the intensity of the heat may be obtained from the fact that pine boxes in the front of the room, four or five feet from the windows, caught fire before the glass broke. This blaze was promptly extinguished by a stream from an engine.

The north half of the same floor is occupied by J. J. West, dealer in statuary. Mr. Went estimates his loss at about $700, fully. covered by insurance. The entire west front of the Brunswick Building is blackened by smoke, the signboards are shriveled up, and the total absence of window-glass gives it a very desolate appearance.

The building adjoining the Adams Building on the north, occupied by R. Deimel & Brothers, manufacturers of parlor furniture, was but slightly injured. Probably $3.000 will cover all damages to the building. It will be remembered that this building was completely gutted by fire on the 15th of last March, Deimel Brothers were just moving into the rejuvenated establishment when this second fire broke out. Only the two upper floors were occupied, and the loss here was not over $1,000. The building is owned by A. O. Slaughter and was fully insured.

Henry Byers, who occupied the upper flat in No. 48 Congress street, loses about $500 or $600 in furniture destroyed; Thomas Mayor, who occupied a similar flat at No. 50, loses about $400.

About 350 people—men, boys, and girls—were employed in the building, and, if the fire had begun a few hours later great loss of life might have resulted. The publishing house of Belford, Clarke & Co. was one of the most complete in the West. It was about the only concern where the manuscript of a book could be taken in and a clean volume turned out without going beyond the building. This firm, Donohne & Henneberry, R. S. Peale & Co., and the Central Lithographing Company have temporary headquarters at the Fox and Friend Paper Company’s office, Nos. 151 and 153 Wabash avenue. They will all get in shape for business as soon as possible.

At a late hour last night the ruins were sending up vast volumes of smoke and the firemen were still throwing two or three streams of water on them. To-day the vaults will be opened and the four safes which are buried underneath the debris will be pulled out, and them an accurate statement of the losses can be made.

Chicago Tribune, May 27, 1886

Nearly a million dollars’ worth of property was destroyed in this city early yesterday morning by a fire which burned the Adams Building, corner of Wabash avenue and Congress street (315 Wabash), occupied by Belford, Clarke & Co., publishers, Donohue, Henneberry & Co., printers and publishers, and others. The building was owned by John Quincy Adams. There was considerable excitement among the guests at the Brunswick Hotel, across the street, the intense heat cracking the windows and setting fire to the curtains.

Inter Ocean, May 27, 1886

THE FIRE YESTERDAY.
The fire yesterday destroyed one of the most complete and one of the largest publishing houses in America. Belford, Clarke & Co. have done more to develop new enterprises in the West and to lower the price of books to the public than any other publishing house in the country. Their plans took in all departments of the book and publishing business, and they had collected not only the most improved machinery, but the plates of hundreds of works popular with the reading people. They had entered upon the publication of some notable works which the public can not well afford to lose. Among their most ambitious enterprises was the publication of a life of General John C. Fremont, which, in its letter press, illustrations, maps, etc., is to be the finest of American books. This is only one case of many in which progress toward completion of the work in hand had been made, and in this case, fortunately, the plates were saved.

But outside of the loss in plates and books and machinery is another loss in which the public is quite as much interested. Manuscripts for many books and the plates for many others were destroyed. In many cases it may be the matter destroyed can not be replaced. The fire in its effects. is, therefore, far reaching, taking in authors, engravers, readers, as well as publishers.

In this connection it ought to be said that the destruction of the publishing-house will not interfere in a general way with the engagements of The Inter Ocean to furnish books sent out in connection with the paper. As Belford, Clarke & Co, have another establishment in New York, The Inter Ocean will be able to fill orders promptly, although in a few cases it may be there will be some delay in filling orders for special works. Of the gentlemen at the head of the publishing-house it should be said that none exceed them in business enterprise and spirit, and the public may take it for granted that all that it is possible for men so situated to do Mr. Belford and his asso. clates will do to recover the ground lost in such a disaster. Having the resources of their New York house to draw upon, having in many cases duplicate plates stored in New York, it may be assumed that their business will be carried forward in the spirit that characterized Chicago after the great fin.

Inter Ocean, May 29, 1886

WEDNESDAY’S FIRE.
Wabash Avenue and Congress Street.
A force of men were busy yesterday digging in the ruins of the Belford, Clarke & Co. publishing house. The fire is still smoldering and a stream of water was kept playing on the debris. The workmen succeeded in getting into the lower vault yesterday afternoon, and found the books of Belford, Clarke & Co. in very good shape. They were slightly scorched and damp but legible. An attempt was also made to get into tho third vault, that in which R. S. Peale A Co.’s books were stored, but it was finally abandoned. It is thought that the contents of this vault are on fire, as smoke issues from the cracks about the door constantly.

The safe of R. S. Peale & Co. was pulled out yesterday and taken to the Hall Safe and Lock company’s office. The safe contained, beside many, valuable papers, a considerable quantity of cash. The safe looked badly demoralized outside and fears are entertained that its contents may be ruined.

An examination of the vault under the sidewalk at the south side of the building was also made yesterday under the direction of Messrs. Clarke and Donohue, and most of the plates were found to be in a good state of preservation. A number of boxes and plates were also extracted from the debris in the center of the building, and found to bo fairly preserved. The plates for several large books, which Peale A Co. thought were in the vault on tho north side of the building, were found under the sidewalk, almost intact. Donohue A Henneberry’s safe, which contained a great quantity of valuable papers, is burled under an immense pile of debris, snd it will take considerable work to resurrect it. None of the firms have yet been able to get to work on their books, and consequently can not furnish an accurate statement of affairs.

At a special meeting of tho Underwriters’ Association held yesterday afternoon, the following corrected report of the insurance involved by the late fire at the corner of Wabash avenue and Congress street was submitted:

NOTES:

¹Erroneously not identified as the first Donohue & Henneberry building. Below is an example of the error from a highly respected source.

History of the Development of Building Construction in Chicago, Frank Randall, 1949
History of the Development of Building Construction in Chicago, First Edition, Frank Randall, 1949 (the 1999 Second Edition repeated the error).

Donohue building, formerly known as the Donohue & Henneberry building, at 701-21 S. Dearborn street, was built in 1883 with 200 feet of frontage, eight stories and one basement high, on spread foundations. Julius Speyer was the architect. A view is in CAC, p. 231, and in RMNV, p. 110, with a description. In 1913 the south 100 feet of frontage, the Donohue Annex building, at 723-33 S. Dearborn street, was added, 10 stories and one basement high, on pile foundations (A. S. Alschuler, architect). A photograph in OBD for 1916 shows both buildings.

NOTES:

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