Oliver Building (Chicago) Explained

Oliver Building
Designated Other1 Name:Chicago Landmark
Designated Other1 Date:May 9, 1984
Designated Other1 Abbr:CL
Designated Other1 Link:Chicago Landmark
Designated Other1 Color:
  1. aaccff
Location:159 N. Dearborn, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Coordinates:41.8847°N -87.6293°W
Built:1907–1908
Added:1984
Refnum:83003563 [1]

The Oliver Building is located at 159 N. Dearborn Street in Chicago within the Loop.

History

It was built for the Oliver Typewriter Company from 1907-1908 by Holabird & Roche. When two floors were added in 1920, Holabird & Roche were hired for the expansion. The cast iron exterior features typewriter-related motifs. It was declared a Chicago Landmark on May 9, 1984.[2] [3]

The windows above the second floor are known as "Chicago windows," and are wide window panes bracketed by narrower double-hung windows. The windows also include the name of the company below the central pane.

In the 1990s, when the Oriental Theatre wanted to expand its backstage area, architect Daniel P. Coffey came up with a design plan that gutted the Oliver while preserving one-third of its original steel structure, as well as the building's Dearborn facade and a portion of its alley facade.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ILLINOIS - Cook County . 2007-07-06. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. Web site: Oliver Building . City of Chicago . 2007-06-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090630144527/http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/O/OliverBuilding.html . 2009-06-30 .
  3. Book: Wolfe, Gerard R. . Gerard R. Wolfe

    . Gerard R. Wolfe . Chicago: In and Around the Loop . McGraw-Hill . 1996 . New York, NY . 53–55 . 0-07-071390-1.

  4. News: Kamin . Blair . Blair Kamin . The Danger of Becoming Skin Deep . Chicago Tribune . 2007-04-08 .