Mentor Block

< --Previous Up Next–>

Mentor Block
Life Span: 1873/1906-Present
Location: NE Corner Monroe and State
Architect: Howard Van Doren Shaw (1898 & 1906)

Edwards’ Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, for 1873

Mayo William M. & Co.

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1887
Mentor Block.—163 State

Lakeside Business Directory of the City of Chicago, 1899
Mentor Block.—161 to 163 State

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1904
Mentor Building.—161 to 163 State

Lakeside Business Directory of the City of Chicago, 1907
Mentor Building.—162 and 163 State

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1911
Mentor Building.—37 and 39 S State

Chicago Tribune, January 28, 1872

The northeast corner of Monroe and State streets, 36 feet by 110 feet, has just been sold by Mr. Potter Palmer for $1,800 per front, which is $16.27 per square foot.

Chicago Tribune, June 6, 1873

Opening of Mayo’s Jewelry Stores.
Yesterday large numbers of citizens and strangers visited the magnificent jewelry stores of Wm. M. Mayo & Co., at No 163 State street, and at the corner of Wabash avenue and Twenty-second streets. As the stores have just been opened with the most
elegant stocks of jewelry, &c., ever exhibited in this city they deserve the attention of all the Jubilee visitors. A purchase will certainly be the result of a visit, for there are a great many articles in the show-cases that are entirely strange to American eyes, such as Neapolitan corals in rare designs, silver filagree jewelry, &c. The assortment of presentation silver sets is very large and varied, as is also that of other rich gifts. The opening will continue at both stores to-day.

Chicago Tribune, September 12, 1875

Goods Worth Looking At.
Those of our readers who visit French’s “opening,” 163 State street, Monday, will thank us for calling their attention to this elegant display of imported furnishing goods, for both ladies and gents, laces and embroideries, neckwear, etc. 163 State street, corner of Monroe, Mr. M. P. Forster will be pleased to see his oid friends.

Rand McNally Bird’s Eye Views of Chicago, 1893

⑪ The Mentor Block,
At the northeast corner of Monroe and State streets, fronts 26 feet on State and 80 feet on Monroe, 85 feet high, 7 stories. It was erected in 1873

Chicago Tribune, May 29, 1898

Howard V. D. Shaw has completed plans for a new front for Eugene S. Pike’s building at 161 State street. The building has a frontage of twenty feet and adjoins Mr. Pike’s Mentor Block on the north. The front will be of plate glass and metal. Two stories will be added to make it the same height as the Mentor Block. The interiors of the two buildings have been connected. Two new elevators will be installed. The cost of the improvement will be $15,000.

Chicago Tribune, November 28, 1967

Mentor Building Is Sold Carson’s Purchase Price Undisclosed
Carson Pine Scott & Co. has purchased the 17-story Mentor building on the northeast corner of State and Monroe streets, it was announced yesterday by Turner Bailey & Zoll, real estate firm.

Carson’s purchased the building and the north half of the site from the Eugene S. Pike estate and received an extended ground lease on the south half of the site from the Chicago board of education. The purchase price was not disclosed.

The building was erected in 1906 by Pike and was named for his birthplace in Ohio. George R. Bailey, one of the brokers representing the Pike estate, said Carson’s once held a lease to the Pike property but that it was given up.

Carson’s has regained full control of the entire mock on State street between Monroe and Madison streets. Company officials said they had no plans to alter the use of the Mentor building, now occupied by office space users.

William V. K. Volckens of Turner Bailey & Zoll, also represented the seller. Leo J. Sheridan Sr. represented the buyer.

Leave a Reply