Second Leiter Building
Encyclopedia
The Second Leiter Building, also known as Leiter II Building and the Sears Building, is located at the northeast corner of South State Street
and East Congress Parkway in Chicago
, Illinois
. (not to be confused with Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower
). This landmark of the Chicago school of architecture
gained fame for being one of the earliest commercial buildings constructed with a metal skeleton frame
remaining in the United States.
Built in 1891 by Levi Leiter
, the Second Leiter Building was designed by architect
William Le Baron Jenney
, who implemented the skeletal frame made of steel to make the design fireproof. The building was leased by Levi Leiter to the department store of Siegel, Cooper and Company who occupied it for approximately seven years. After Siegel Cooper closed, the building hosted various tenants until it became the downtown flagship store of Sears, Roebuck and Company
in 1932. Sears occupied the space the until 1986 when it decided to close the store and the space was leased to other tenants.
The structure is eight floors and occupies the entire block of State Street between Congress Parkway and Van Buren Street. The State Street facade consists of nine bays separated by wide pilasters. The pilasters are capped by simple capitals and an unadorned cornice crowns the entire structure. The Congress and Van Buren facades are three bays wide with measurements of 400 ft (121.9 m) by 143 ft (43.6 m). Within each bay are four windows on each floor aligned vertically. The building is faced with a pink granite. Each floor contains 50000 sq ft (4,645.2 m²) with 16 ft (4.9 m) ceilings and could be divided to house multiple tennants.
Its predecessor, the First Leiter Building
, was designed by Jenny in 1879 and stood at Wells and Monroe until it was demolished in 1972. The Second Leiter Building was designated a Chicago Landmark
on January 14, 1997 and in 1998, the building became home to the Chicago campus of Robert Morris University.
State Street (Chicago)
State Street is a large south-north street in Chicago, Illinois, USA and its south suburbs. It begins on the Near North Side at North Avenue. For much of its course, it lies between Wabash Avenue on the east and Dearborn Street/Lafayette Avenue on the west...
and East Congress Parkway in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. (not to be confused with Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower
Sears Tower
Sears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as Kmart, Kohl's, and Wal-Mart. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more...
). This landmark of the Chicago school of architecture
Chicago school (architecture)
Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century...
gained fame for being one of the earliest commercial buildings constructed with a metal skeleton frame
Steel frame
Steel frame usually refers to a building technique with a "skeleton frame" of vertical steel columns and horizontal -beams, constructed in a rectangular grid to support the floors, roof and walls of a building which are all attached to the frame...
remaining in the United States.
Built in 1891 by Levi Leiter
Levi Leiter
Levi Ziegler Leiter was a Chicago businessman. He co-founded what became the Marshall Field & Company retail empire.-Biography:...
, the Second Leiter Building was designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
William Le Baron Jenney
William Le Baron Jenney
William Le Baron Jenney was an American architect and engineer who became known as the Father of the American skyscraper.- Life and career :...
, who implemented the skeletal frame made of steel to make the design fireproof. The building was leased by Levi Leiter to the department store of Siegel, Cooper and Company who occupied it for approximately seven years. After Siegel Cooper closed, the building hosted various tenants until it became the downtown flagship store of Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
in 1932. Sears occupied the space the until 1986 when it decided to close the store and the space was leased to other tenants.
The structure is eight floors and occupies the entire block of State Street between Congress Parkway and Van Buren Street. The State Street facade consists of nine bays separated by wide pilasters. The pilasters are capped by simple capitals and an unadorned cornice crowns the entire structure. The Congress and Van Buren facades are three bays wide with measurements of 400 ft (121.9 m) by 143 ft (43.6 m). Within each bay are four windows on each floor aligned vertically. The building is faced with a pink granite. Each floor contains 50000 sq ft (4,645.2 m²) with 16 ft (4.9 m) ceilings and could be divided to house multiple tennants.
Its predecessor, the First Leiter Building
First Leiter Building
The First Leiter building was a Chicago structure built in 1879 and demolished in 1972.-External references:* Historic American Building Survey Photos and information...
, was designed by Jenny in 1879 and stood at Wells and Monroe until it was demolished in 1972. The Second Leiter Building was designated a Chicago Landmark
Chicago Landmark
Chicago Landmark is a designation of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and other sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, architectural, artistic, cultural,...
on January 14, 1997 and in 1998, the building became home to the Chicago campus of Robert Morris University.
External links
- Leiter II Building Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
- Leiter II Building National Historic Landmark designation on January 7, 1976