Chamber of Commerce

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Chamber of Commerce & Board of Trade
Location: SE corner of Washington and LaSalle Streets
Life Span: 1865 – 1871
Architect: Edward Burling

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1870

Chamber of Commerce Building

In 1846, John Charles Haines formed a partnership with Jared Gage and acquired several flour mills. In 1848, he was elected to the first of six terms as alderman on the city council and two terms as the water commissioner. He became mayor of Chicago from 1858-1860.

The first meeting of the Board of Trade in Chicago was held on March 13, 1848, in a room which was rented over the flour store of Gage & Haines on South Water street.

Chicago Illustrated, January, 1866

THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE building, shown on the right of this picture, is one of the latest of the many new and handsome public edifices erected of late years in Chicago. It is located at the south-east corner of La Salle and Washington streets, and fronts the Court-House square. To the east is the new building of Smith and Nixon; and still further to the east, at the corner of Clark street is the Methodist block,.

The style of architecture is decidedly composite, the beauty and majesty of Art having been made subordinate to the amount of capital stock and the prospect of future dividends.

The dimensions of the main building are ninety-three by one hundred and eighty-one feet, and one hundred feet in height.

From the main door the entrance leads up a short flight of stairs to a hall which extends the whole length of the building, each side being apportioned into handsome business rooms, all of which are occupied by merchants, banks, and insurance companies. The sides of the building face respectively on La Salle street and Exchange place. From this floor the ascent to the grand hall is by a double flight of stairs. This hall is the finest, in all its details, erected in the West. Eighteen windows throw their colored rays upon the room. Its loftiness, the harmony of the coloring, and the general character of the design are very imposing. It is elaborately adorned with freshness, paintings and appropriate designs. The hall is one hundred and forty-three feet by eighty-nine, and forty-four feet from floor to ceiling. The interior of this grand hall is appropriately furnished for the business to which it is dedicated. The hall is lighted by Frank’s reflectors on the top of the roof, which is one of Mensard’s.

The building was erected and the site purchased by an incorporated company, known as the “Chamber of Commerce,” composed of members of the Board of Trade. It cost about four hundred thousand dollars. The external view of the building, though faithful in every particular, fails in giving any just idea of the magnitude, convenience, elegance and grandeur of the interior construction and finish. The architect was E. Burling, Esq., of Chicago.

On Wednesday, August 30th, 1865, this grand edifice was dedicated, with imposing ceremonies, to Commerce. Prayer was offered by Rev. O. H. Tiffany, D. D., and the inaugural address was delivered by the Hon. Charles Randolph, President of the Board of Trade of Chicago. Other addresses were made by S. J. Andrews, Esq., of Maine; J. S. Ropes, Esq., of Boston; the Hon. D. G. Ford, Mayor of Oswego, New York; J. p. Bankson, Esq., of Pennsylvania; W. G. Perkins, Esq., of Ohio; the Hon. G. V. N. Lothrop, of Detroit; Adam Brown, Esq., of Hamilton, Canada West; Hon. Judge Harbison, of Louisville, Kentucky; Barton Able, Esq., of St. Louis; Hon. E. B. Martindale, of Indiana; A. S. Pease, Esq., of Troy, New York; and Henry G. Smith, of Tennessee. Delegates from the Boards of Trade and commercial organizations of Baltimore, Cleveland, Toledo, Albany and Troy, Portland, Boston, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Louisville, New York, Memphis, Buffalo, Oswego, Detroit, Milwaukee, Montreal, Toronto, Hamilron, Ottawa, and from all the cities and towns of the North-West. The dedication of the building was followed by a series of festivities, covering three or four days.

The Board of Trade of Chicago. to whose enterprise the city owes the successful completion of this handsome structure, is composed of about fifteen hundred members. It was organized in 1848, and then numbered less than one hundred members. Ten years later, in 1858, it had increased to four hundred members, when a building was erected on Water street, arranged expressly for its meetings on ‘Change. The rapid increase of business, the Board itself increasing to twelve hundred members made it necessary, in 1863, to take steps for another anore suitable building. The present building is the magnificent result of the prompt and earnest efforts of the gentlemen to whom the work was intrusted.

The following are the officers of the Chicago Chamber of Commerce: President—R. M. Hough. Vice-President —V. A. Turpin. Directors —John L. Hancock, T. J. Bronson, P. L. Underwood, H. Milward, Lyman Blair, D. Thompson, J. M. Richards, Hugh McLennan, George F. Rumsey, Samuel M. Nickerson, J. K. Pollard. Secretary—C. L. Raymond.

The following are the names of the Board of Trade: President—Charles Randolph. First Vice-President —T. Maple. Second Vice-President—John C. Dore. Directors—(for term expiring in 1866) —W. Nason, J. S. Harvey, Albert Morse, W. N. Brainard, C. M. Culbertson. Term expiring in 1867—S. S. Williamson, E. V. Robbins, W. H. Low, S. A. Kent, J. W. Odell. Secretary —John F. Beatty. Treasurer —George F. Rumsey.

James W. Sheehan, Esq.,
January 1866

Chicago Tribune, February 23, 1864

New Location of tbe Board af Trade.
Eds. Tribune: The location by the Board of Trade of their proposed new building being, of importance to the public. I propose through your columns to compare the relative merits ol the two locations now talked of, viz: 1st, The Baptist Church property, corner of Washington and Lasalle streets, fronting the public square, 2d.. The “Wigwam,” corner of Market and Lake streets, near the river.

It will not be denied by any sensible man who will examine both localities, that the corner opposite the square is much the more sightly snd beautiful place to erect a building, which, while it is an ornament to the city and a pride to the Board of Trade, will at a glance show the beholder its magnificent and just proportions. Health, being of the first importance, should receive particular attention. The corner opposite the square is away from the nauseating stench arising from that stream of corruption, yearly growing worse, caused by the reception of all the filth from the sewers, slaughter houses, tanneries and distilleries into the river, while the corner of Market and Lake is sweetly near and under those deathly influences. The former location has also the benefit of purer air, being nearer to Lake Michigan and having in front a park or square open forever. Therefore, in respect to healthiness of location, the Baptist Church property has altogether the preference over the Wigwam.

The next thing in importance, and the only thing now to compare, is centrality of location as regards not only the present but the future business of the city. This is to be judged by ease of access to both places.

First, we will commence with the North Side. The residents there find access to the South Side by Wells, Clark and Bush street bridges. The street railways terminating on Clark street, it is fair to presume that one half of the North Siders cross that bridge. We will take that as the center, and by examining the map we find that the Baptist Church is one block nearer to it than it is to the Wigwam. Those crossing at Wells street are one block nearer to the latter, while those crossing Rush street are one block nearer to the former. So that at the present time, upon a fair average computation, the residents of the North Side are one block easier of access to the Baptist Church than to the Wigwam. In the future, if the river should be bridged at State and Lasalle streets, and the street railways should crass them as now proposed, the difference in favor of the Baptist Church would be immeasurably increased.

Secondly—We will compare the West side. The residents crossing at Lake street are five blocks nearer to the Wigwam than to the Baptist Church. Those crossing at Randolph are three blocks nearer to the Wigwam unless by the street cars, then they are landed exactly equi-distant from both places. Those crossing at Madison are one block nearer to the Wigwam, unless by the cars, then they are landed three blocks from the Wigwam and only one from the church. Those crossing at Van Buren are one block nearer to the Wigwam. Those crossing on Polk street are three blocks nearer to tbe Baptist Church. Those crossing at Twelfth street and Old street are five blocks nearer to the Baptist Church. This will also be true of all bridges constructed south of Twelfth street. Thus at the present time the residents of the West Division can get to either place with about equal facility. In the future, when the street railways shall be extended south to Bridgport, crossing at Madison street and north through Milwaukee avenue, crossing at Randolph, the difference will then be greatly in favor of the church corner.

Lastly—The North Division and a general comparison in reference to the business of the city.

All of the first class large hotels, nearly all of the bankers and banking offices, all of the large public halls, all of the principal places of public amusement, the termination of all the street railways, all of the large newspaper and printing offices, all of the lawyers’ offices, nearly all of the railway offices doing business here, all of the lake transportation and propeller agencies and docks, the great bulk of the wholesale houses in the city, all these are nearer to the church than to the Wigwam. In fact, nine-tenths of the above enumeration are east of Lasalle and south of Water streets, so that while the corner of Lasalle and Washington is central as regards the business of the city, and ease of access, the corner of Market and Lake is on the extreme outer circle, or in other words, is in the extreme northwest corner of the South Division. The post-office, where say one in the city has to go, is within three blocks of the church, while it is eight blocks from the Wigwam. The Custom House is the same relative distance. The Court House, County, City and Public Offices, and directly opposite the church, and are four blocks from the Wigwam The greater proportion of the grain elevators are nearer to the Church than to the Wigwam.

The facts stated ought to convince any individual and disinterested person that the corner of Washington and LaSalle, for the purpose named, is cheap at any reasonable price, while the corner of Market and Lake would be dear if presented to the Board as a gift, and they be compelled to erect thereon a costly edifice.

Chicago Tribune, March 8, 1864

Chamber of Commerce.— The Building Committee of the Chamber of Commerce have purchased the Baptist Church property, 92×180 feet, recommended by the Association at a meeting held some time ago. The subscriptions are coming in freely, the plans will be advertised for in a few days, and every preparation is being made for the erection of an edifice that will be an ornament to the city.

Chicago Tribune, August 29, 1865

The new Chamber of Commerce building, the most magnificent edifice in the United States, is now completed, and was thrown open yesterday for the inspection of the public. So much has been said, and so much seen of this building that it seems scarcely necessary to, in this connection, give more than a brief glance at its prominent features and peculiarities; but these are so numerous and noteworthy that a description must necessarily be somewhat extended. Its exterior may be said to be imposing, but cannot be called beautiful; it belongs to what what we might term peculiarly “American composite” order of architecture, in which the great feature is intense utility, and for the attaining of this recognized “orders” of architecture re jumbled together with perfectly fantastic looseness. But it is a huge building, massive even in its details, and conveys to the beholder a strong sense of enduring solidity, a very proper idea when connected with an institution, typical as this is, of the wealth and might of Commerce in this great Northwest. One very bad point is the brick wall on the inner or Southern end of the edifice. It should have been in accordance with the other three sides of stone. The present arrangement is unpleasantly poor and mean in appearance. With regard to the ornamentation, it seems too profuse, but this is one of the defects inseparable from the “American composite.” The “Mansard” roof, with its oval windows, is in some measure necessary for the purposes of ventilation and convenience of space over the great hall, but in an aesthetic light we never did, and hope we never shall like the thing. We don’t like the clumsy affair, even without absurd parti-colorings, and we like it much less with them. An unusual and not particularly pleasant effect is give to the exterior by the reversal of the ordinary rules of construction, in increasing the height of the the stories toward the roof; but for the purposes of the building this was unavoidable, and the difficulty has been overcome as well as possible. The windows would have been more pleasing if the panes had been larger, would have accorded better with the style of the walls and ornamentation about them. The high basement and first floor are devoted entirely to offices. Two insurance offices are located in the former, and two banks (“City National” and “Sturges'”) in the latter, together with the offices of several firms, all furnished in the highest degree of elegance. Passing the entrance, which is an exception to the general imposing character of the exterior, and ascending the staircase heading up to the great hall, one cannot but regret that it has not been made wider and loftier. The two iron stairways, each five and a half feet in width, and the succeeding wooden ones, at right angles with them, five feet each in width, all seem small and insufficient, when viewed in connection with the great exterior and huge hall to which they lead. They are, however, no doubt quite sufficient for all requirements to made upon them, and are very elegantly finished.

The great hall is without doubt the grandest meeting room of any commercial body in this country. It is 113 feet in length, by 87 in width, and 45 in height. Light is during the day admitted by ten windows on each side, and five in front, each twenty-five feet i height and of proportional width, and at night the hall may be brilliantly illuminated by ten gigantic reflectors, which dot the panels of the ceiling. These reflectors serve likewise as ventilators and heat will be supplied, in cold weather, by a huge eight-boiler heater, of Murray & Gold’s patent, which stands in the basement. All about the room, to the height of four and a half feet from the floor, runs a paneled wainscoting of oak and above this the walls are divided into elegant panels of neutral tints. At the northern end is an elevated dais of almost semi-circular form, thirty-six in length, under which are painted in neutral tints, two figures supposed to be emblematic of Liberty and Justice. The rest of the frescoing is good; the figures at the Northern end are really very fine, but these are positively wretched. They could only appear half passable if seen at a greta heigh, in a dim light, by a very short-sighted man. Such daubs, badly shaded distortions of the most intensely Chinese ideas of anatomy, should not be tolerated here a single hour, and we do hope, for the credit of the city, that they will be well whitewashed over before the visitors arrive to participate in the grand opening of the rooms. Their defects are radical and irremediable. The obliquity in the visual organs of Justice might be amended and Liberty’s dislocated limbs set, but they could never be improved sufficiently to prevent their being a disgrace to their maker. Over the gallery is a magnificent eagle, grasping two American flags, bound together by a ribbon, on which appears the motto “E pluribus Unum.” The ceiling is divided into two huge panels of fanciful frescoing, separated by the city seal of Chicago. Each panel is pierced by five “reflectors,” and at the corners, executed with fine artistic taste, appear, in medallions, pictures representing a canal boat, railroad train, steamer, plow, saw-mill, grain, elevator, warehouse, and something which may pass readily for either a pork-packing house or a distillery. On the white concave cornice running all around the room are a series of beautiful pictures, done in colors, presenting a very imposing effect. On the north end, in the centre of the field, stands the Goddess of Liberty, in the attitude familiarized to every one by her faithful representation on a greenback five dollar bill. On one side of the goddess appear figures representing sculpture, architecture, music and painting, each surrounded by the implements of her vocation. On the eastern side sits prominent the Genius of Commerce, surrounded by merchandise, etc.; on her right the city of Chicago, the lighthouse pier, and the lake dotted here and there with vessels; and on the left a mingled agricultural and mechanical scene. On the western side appears the Genius of Agriculture, surrounded by fruitful fields, a harvesting scene and pastoral groupings, At the southern end sits regal Science, and grouped about her scientific apparatus and representations of some of the mechanical powers, while afar off to her right is a soft and warm tropical scene, and on her left a view of Lake Michigan. The beautiful ideas contained in these groupings must be at once apparent to the beholder. They do credit at once to the genius of the designer and skill of the painter.

At the southern end of the hall are private rooms for the President. Treasurer, Secretary and Directors of the Board, on the western side of the building, and on the eastern side a reading room, telegraph office, wash rooms, closets, etc., all fitted up in the most superb style appropriate to their several uses. On the floor above, on a level with the gallery, is the Grain Inspector’s room, fifty by forty feet in extent, the arrangements in which are of the most perfect description. The Janitor’s room and some store rooms are also on this level. Up stairs, over the hall is a great space up to the roof, some twenty-two feet above the joists of the ceiling, and at one end is a huge lumber room. In this great space over the hall, there are flat forms about the reflectors, for convenience of lighting them from above—a clock-room, and ventilators for the escape of heated air rising from the hall below. The ceiling having been mentioned in this connection, it may be well to remark that the ceiling of the hall is not simply an ordinary plaster one, but is of boards, covered with linen canvas tightly glued on and covered with stucco.

The entire cost of the Chamber of Commerce has been about $100,000, and the back building, connected with it by a bridge and devoted entirely to offices, about $45,000 more. This back building is four stories in height, thirty feet wide and one hundred feet deep.

The names of the several contractors on the Chamber of Commerce are as follows:
Architect—E. Burling.
Draughtsman—E. Baumann.
Carpenters—Warwick & Cassidy.
Masons—Carter Bros.
Plasterers—Doyle & Johnson.
Painters—Mulligan & Heath.
Heaters—Murray & Gold.
Decorators—Jevne & Almini.
Iron Work—F. Letz.
Gas Fitter—J. Scanlean.
Plumber—John Hughes.
Roofer—W. Clark.
Stone Cutters—Wenthe & Moessinger, E. Walker, J.L. Brainard & Co.

Yesterday afternoon in the great hall, having been thrown open to the public, was visited by thousands of gentlemen and ladies, who inspected with sands of gentlemen and ladies, who inspected with pleasure the elegant appointments, and participated in the just pride every citizen of Chicago should feel at our possession of so magnificent a commercial edifice. The place was, however, in much disorder, this condition being attributable in no small degree to the efforts of a legion of men and women engaged in cleaning up crockery, china and glassware, and making other extensive preparations for the grand banquet to come off here on Thursday night.

The following is the programme arranged for the dedication and opening exercises of the Chamber by the Committee of Arrangements.

Wednesday. 10 a.m.

Wednesday Afternoon

Wednesday Evening

Opera House

Thursday Morning

Thursday Afternoon

Union Stock Yards

Thursday Night

Friday Morning

Water Works

Lake Tunnel

Camp Douglas

Friday Night

Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, September 30, 1865,

Chicago, Illinois’ new and impressive Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade Building was inaugurated at an impressive ceremony in its Grand Hall. On Washington Street, facing the Cook County Court House, the structure stood around 100 feet tall and comprised a main building for the Chamber of Commerce and a smaller building housing the Board of Trade, joined together by a covered bridge. Chamber of Commerce

A Strangers and Tourists Guide to Chicago, 1866

The Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber of Commerce, the centre of the vast business interests of the Northwest, and the representative of the wealth, energy, and enterprise of Chicago merchants, is one of the finest public buildings which adorn the city. Its location, on the corner of Washington and La Salle streets, is one of the best in the city. Its walls are of Athens marble, and its dimensions ninety- three by one hundred and eighty-one feet. The style of architecture is of that composite character generally known as the modern Italian. It consists of a basement, half beneath the street, a story above for banks and merchants’ offices, and above this the grand hall for the use of the Board of Trade. The building is completed by an elegant mansard roof, with oval windows, and, upon each corner, ornamented urns. A massive stone pavement is carried around the building, and a short flight of steps leads down to the offices in the basement.

The building is located in the most central part of the city, at the corner of Washington and La Salle streets, fronting Court House Square, of which it is now the most graceful orament. The entrance to the building consists of four Corinthian columns, from which springthree arches supporting a handsome balcony, underneath which a broad flight of stairs leads to the first floor, which is divided into offices and banks. There is a second entrance from the side fronting on La Salle street. On the whole, the structure has an imposing aspect, chaste, elegant, and profusely adorned, the only thing which tends to mar the general effect being the unusual arrangement by which the loftiest rooms are placed at the top of the building.

The basement is entered by a short flight of stone steps and consists of a long corridor, branching off on each hand into thirteen offices, all of which are elegantly furnished. These apartments are large and commodious and the only fault to be found here is in the height. Passing from this portion of the edifice to the first floor, we find a succession of offices and banks, much the same as on the basement floor, except that they are better lighted, and are fitted up more luxuriously. This floor contains twelve offices, besides the City National bank and Sturges’ bank, both of these furnished in a most superior style. The visitor passes southward along this corridor, which branches off into a passageway, leading by a flight of steps to the basement on one hand, and on the other to the La Salle street entrance. A broad flight of steps leads up to the Board of Trade rooms, and to the other apartments in the upper portion of the building. The principal entrance to the hall, however, is from the north end by means of two flights of iron stairs, which are much too narrow, and form a rather mean introduction to such a place.

In the hall itself which is by far the finest portion of the whole building, the utmost pains and expense have been lavished, to render it a worthy environment for the enterprising spirits of Chicago. It is indeed a beautiful mansion “royal, rich, and wide,” and has quite a dazzling effect at first sight. It may safely be asserted that it is by many degrees the greatest hall of the kind to be found in the country. It is one hundred and forty-three feet in length by eighty-seven feet in width, and the height is forty-five feet in the clear. It is lighted by ten windows on each side and five in front, each window being twenty-five feet in height. The windows are of a tasteful design, representing the shield and arrows, and adorned with elaborate scroll work, while between each of these are large panels in fresco work. At the north end of the hall is the president’s chair, on an elevated dais, which occupies a considerable portion of the space at that end; and over the south entrance there is a massive balcony, thirty-six feet long, and projecting seven feet from the wall. It is supported by large brackets, with Corinthian cups and leaves, and is elaborately adorned with iron scroll work and carved ornaments of various kinds. But the principal feature of attraction in the hall, or at least what attracts the attention of visitors, on first entering, is the highly ornate ceiling which is profusely decorated with fresco paintings.

The ceiling represents two centres, both richly ornamented with scroll work, and divided by a tasteful design, representing the city seal. In the middle, or apex of the centres is placed the lighting apparatus, which at night sheds a vivid glare of light upon the hall, while at the four corners of each centre are traced pictorial designs, representing the various aspects of Commerce and Agriculture. There is a large elevator, a factory, a canal boat scene, a rural picture with cattle and plows, and railroads, steamboats, saw-mills and flour mill.

Between the ceiling and the walls, there is an arch projecting thirteen feet, on which are a series of large fresco designs, some of them pieces of great merit, while others cannot be said to deserve much commendation. First, over the president’s chair there is a representation of the goddess of liberty, with winged figures presenting laurel wreaths to the genius of music, painting, sculpture and architecture, who are disposed on each side of the principal figure. The painting occupies the width of the hall, and is filed up with landscapes. Fronting this picture, at the south end of the hall, sits the goddess of success, holding in her hand the globe and compasses.

On one side of her is an active figure of a youth who is supposed to represent the electric telegraph, and who holds the electric wires in his hand waiting to receive instructions of the goddess. On the other side are figures representing the shipping interest; while a variety of all kinds of machinery and implements are scattered around. The whole is appropriately surrounded with sea pieces, where argosies of magic sails are gliding through oceans of immutable blue. In the middle of the arch on the west side is a figure representing Ceres, the goddess of plenty, surrounded with a multitude of deep-uddered kine lazily browsing on the pastures. In the background there is a pleasant picture of an American homestead, while away in other portions of the picture may be seen hay-making, wheat-hauling, and all imaginable kinds of rural employment, refreshing to look upon. Stretching away beyond this are swelling hills and dales. The opposite picture, on the east side, is a representation of commerce; on one side a shipping scene, which some have mistaken for Chicago, but which is entirely an imaginary picture; on the other side are a variety of scenes, rural and otherwise. At each corner of the arch around the ceiling is the representation of an eagle-two of them, the Illinois eagle, with wreath and shield, and the other the United States eagle. Above the balcony, at the south entrance, is a fresco painting on the wall, representing two American flags with the eagle; while at each side of the entrance are the figures of Justice and Liberty. At the north end, on each side of the president’s desk,the walls are adorned with the figures ofAgricultureand Commerce.

Adjoining the hall on the south side are a suite of rooms, the reading room and two telegraph offices, the directors’ room and the secretary’s room, which last is a commodious apartment and handsomely furnished. Passing from this up a flight of steps, we come to another set of apartments in the story above, which are to be devoted to inspectors’ rooms; and going still nearer to the sky, the visitor comes to the lumber room, extending the whole width of the building, and the roomy apartment which is to be occupied by the functionary who attends to the lighting of the rooms and the winding up of the clock.

In the rear of the main office there is a large brick structure, appropriated to offices for the Board of Trade, the entrance to the one from the other being by an iron trussed bridge floored with wood, which spans the alley between them.

The structure and the ground on which the building is situated cost $400,000. The building is in the hands of a joint-stock company, and the rents received for the use of these offices afford remunerative dividends.

The completion of the building was celebrated on the 30th and 31st of August, 1865, by a series of inaugural ceremonies and festivities, which were attended by delegations from New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Montreal, and all the other large cities in the country.

No stranger should visit Chicago without entering the Chamber of Commerce. The daily sessions of the Board of Trade are held from 11 A. M. to 1 P. M.,and, while strangers are not admitted on the floor of the hall, the balcony overlooking the busy scene of ‘Change, is always open to visitors. The sight from this balcony during the hours of ‘Change, especially if it be obtained during the busy periods of the year, when the markets are excited and prices are active, will be found worth coming a thousand miles to see.