United States Express Building
Life Span: 1872-1953
Location: 87-89 Washington (58-60 W Washington)
Chicago Tribune, February 18, 1872
South Dearborn Street.
The United States Express building will add greatly to the business prospects of South Dearborn street.
Chicago Tribune, January 11, 1953
By Al Chase
Wreckers will start May 1 to raze three Loop buildings, erected shortly after the great fire of 1871, to make way for modern parking facilities, Judson F. Stone, agent for the Nettie F. McCormick estate, property owner, said yesterday.
The trio of old timers is on the north side of Washington st., between the Reaper block, at the northeast corner of Clark st., and the Washington-Dearborn build-ing, at the northwest corner of Dearborn st.
Total Frontage 120 Feet
They comprise the six story building at 58-60 W. Washington, the four and five story building at numbers 62 and 64, and the six story building at 66 to 70. They have a total frontage of 120 feet, various depths, and a total area of 16,000 square feet.
When demolition is completed about Aug. 1 the land will be occupied by Downtown Parking Stations, Inc., of which Nicholas R. Dispenza is president, for its 15th Chicago open air parking lot.
S. C. Chadwick, executive vice president, said the new parking facilities will provide space for 100 cars at one time. The parking corporation has accommodation already for about 2,500 cars in its various stations.
Leased for 10 Years
The new parking lot was leased from the McCormick estate for 10 years, with a cancellation clause enabling the land owner to improve the property with a new building it desired.
The eight story Reaper building, just west of the proposed new parking lot, at the northeast corner of Clark, was erected three years after the great fire by Cyrus H. McCormick, inventor of the reaper, and named by him the Reaper block. Originally it was six stories high, but later two more were added. The late Nettie F. McCormick, whose estate holds title to the land just leased, was the wife of Cyrus.
United States Express Building
Robinson Fire Insurance Map
1886
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