Delaware Building

The Delaware Building is a building in the Chicago Loop built in the massive rebuilding effort after the 1871 Great Chicago Fire. It is significant for being one of the few buildings to maintain its 1870s character, as an Italianate structure, in an area dominated by more modern structures.^[2] The building is also notable for its early use of a precast concrete façade. The building was designated a Chicago Landmark on November 23, 1983, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1974.^[3]

Delaware Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Chicago Landmark
Location	Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41°53′5.16″N 87°37′44.93″W
Built	1872
Architect	Wheelock & Thomasç
Architectural style	Italianate
NRHP reference No.	74000749 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 18, 1974
Designated CL	November 23, 1983

As built, the building had five floors with a basement. The first two stories were primarily metal and glass to provide storefront windows for displays. In 1889, two additional floors were added, and three bays were removed from the Randolph Avenue façade.^[2]

Delaware Building looking northeast, c. 1903