Pittsfield Building
| Pittsfield Building | |
|---|---|
 The Pittsfield Building as seen from the northeast | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 55 E. Washington St. Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°52′59″N 87°37′33″W / 41.8830°N 87.6257°W |
| Completed | 1927 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 551 ft (168 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 38 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Graham, Anderson, Probst & White |
| Designated | November 6, 2002 |
The Pittsfield Building, is a 38-story skyscraper located at 55 E. Washington Street in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States, that was the city's tallest building at the time of its completion.[1][2] The building was designated as a Chicago Landmark on November 6, 2002.[1]
History
[edit]The property was developed by heirs of Marshall Field, and is named after Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where Marshall Field obtained his first job.[3] While it is located in the Jewelers' Row Landmark District, the original design and occupancy was for medical & dental professionals, including offices, laboratories, and medical supplies.[4] The nearby Burnham Center, at the intersection of Clark Street and Washington Street, was originally named the Conway Building after Conway, Massachusetts—the birthplace of Marshall Field.[5] Marshall Field III presented the property as a gift to the Field Museum of Natural History in honor of the museum's 50th anniversary in 1944. The museum held the property until September 1960 when the museum sold it.[3]
In 2000, Florida-based Morgan Reed Group acquired the entire building for $15 million, later selling off floors 13 through 21 while retaining the rest.[6] During that period, the building was used mostly by doctors, dentists and jewelers.[7]
In 2008, the Skokie, Illinois-based Alter Group transformed floors 13 through 21 into student housing known as Fornelli Tower, which was attached to Roosevelt University and Robert Morris University. Around the same time, Florida-based Morgan Reed Group retained ownership of the remainder of the building and began exploring redevelopment options.[8]
Morgan Reed filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017 and alleged in a lawsuit that the city of Chicago had illegally downzoned the property. A Chinese-Canadian businessman, Xiao Hua “Edward” Gong, acquired Morgan Reed’s portion in a bankruptcy auction, but his assets were frozen later that year due to criminal securities fraud charges in Canada, halting redevelopment plans. Gong attempted to block a foreclosure sale in 2023 but ultimately dropped the case. That same year, investor Tom Liravongsa of Grand Rapids, Michigan, acquired 30 out of the building’s 40 stories and announced plans to convert most of them into residential units.[6]
Architecture
[edit]Designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, the structure combines both art deco and Gothic detailing, while complying with a 1923 zoning ordinance which mandated skyscrapers setbacks.[3] The interior of the building features a five-story atrium, lined by balconies and shops, that is detailed with glowing marbles, gleaming brass and Spanish Gothic style carvings.[1][2]
Gallery
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Position in Chicago's skyline
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See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c "Pittsfield Building". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. 2003. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
- ^ a b Kamin, Blair (February 28, 2006). "The list gets longer on shortcuts". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 5, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Pittsfield Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on December 28, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
- ^ Fuller, Ernest (February 7, 1959). "Pittsfield Building". chicagology.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "Burnham Center". Emporis. Archived from the original on September 10, 2004. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
- ^ a b Herzog, Rachel (March 11, 2025). "Investor pitches office-to-residential conversion for Pittsfield Building". Retrieved April 14, 2025.
- ^ Gallun, Alby, "Pittsfield to get college dormitory," Crain's Chicago Business, p. 16, January 28, 2008.
- ^ Gallun, Alby (November 25, 2015). "Pittsfield Building owners sued over soured $91 million in deals". Retrieved April 14, 2025.
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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