W. F. Hall Printing Co. I
Life Span: 1895-Present
Location: 21-25 Plymouth Court (old), 327 S. Plymouth Court
Architect:
- Lakeside Business Directory of the City of Chicago, 1899
Hall W F Printing Co 21 to 25 Plymouth ct
Chicago Tribune, April 14, 1894
Van Sickien Printing company, Chicago, certified to a change of name to the W. F. Hall Printing company.
Story of Chicago in Connection with the Printing Business, Regan Printing Company, 1912
William Franklin Hall, the founder of the W. F. Hall Printing Company, was probably one of the most successful master printers in Chicago, if the comparatively brief period o his connection with the trade is considered. Mr. Hall was born in Columbia City, Ind., in 1862, and acquired an insight into the trade in a country newspaper office in the Hoosier State. Ambitious to advance, he in 1882 came to the busy hive of the industry, Chicago, and at once began his climb to distinction. For a time he pursued his calling as journeyman and later assumed the foremanship of the Regan Printing House, where his ability found scope for its display and where he demonstrated unusual forcefulness as a workman. In 1893 Mr. Hall organized the W. F. Hall Company, and previous to his death he built one of the conspicuous printing establishments of the country, demonstrating possibilities in the industry that were not deemed possible, Impaired health compelled a trip to Europe, and, failing in relef, his death took place in London in 1911 1908, aged 49 years.
- W. F. Hall Printing Co.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
1906
W. F. Hall Plants
Chicago Tribune, April 18, 1908
Big Building Is Planned.
A deal of much importance, particularly as marking the removal of another large business concern in the central district into the north side district and the construction of a large building, has just been closed. The W. F. Hall Printing company, which has been located on Plymouth court for more than fifteen years, will occupy under a ten years’ lease a building which Joseph Tilt will erect at the northeast corner of Superior and Kingsbury streets. It will front 110 feet, with a depth of 130, will be seven stories high, of heavy mill construction, and will cost about $150,000. The aggregate rental for the term is $170.000, or $17,000 a year.
Paul Gerhardt is the architect for the building. which will be one of the largest ever occupied by a single concern for printing purposes. J. H. Van Vlissingen & Co. and Perkins B. Bass were the brokers in the transaction. It is expected the building will be ready for occupancy at the end of the year.
Chicago Tribune, January 16, 1910
Joseph E. Tait has completed plans for an addition to the W. F. Hall Printing company’s building at Kingsbury and Superior streets. This extension, which is to have a frontage of one block on Superior street, will be a duplicate of the building now occupied by the company. When completed the new plant will be the largest of its kind in the west, and near the top of the list of the largest in the world. The floor area will be 250.000 square feet.
The completed building and plant will represent an outlay of $1.000,000. Paul Gerhardt, architect and structural engineer, will make his drawings from the preliminary plans of Messrs. Robert M. Eastman and Edwin M. Colvin, who have carefully arranged the space of the eight floors to meet the requirements of the Hall company’s increasing business.
The lease was negotiated by Perkins B. Bass & Co. on a term rental basis of $840,000.
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