Burnham Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Conway Building
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 Location in Chicago Loop
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| Location | 111 W. Washington St., Chicago, Illinois |
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| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | Daniel H. Burnham & Co.; Graham, Burnham, & Co. |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000988 |
| Added to NRHP | February 9, 1984 |
The Burnham Center is a really old and tall building, called a skyscraper, located in Chicago, Illinois. It used to be known as the Conway Building and then the Chicago Title & Trust Building. A famous architect named Daniel Burnham designed it. It was the last building he ever designed before he passed away in 1912. The building was finished in 1913. Money from the family of a rich businessman named Marshall Field helped pay for it.
A Look Back in Time
The Burnham Center, when it was first built, was called the Conway Building. It was built where the old Chicago Opera House used to stand. That opera house was built way back in 1885.
The Conway Building was a special project. It was paid for using money from the "estate" of Marshall Field. An estate is all the money and property a person leaves behind when they pass away. Marshall Field was a very rich businessman who died in 1906.
He wanted his money to be invested in Chicago buildings. This investment would continue until his grandson, Marshall Field III, turned fifty years old in 1943. Most of Field's money went into buildings that already existed. But some of it helped build three big new projects. These were the Conway Building, the Pittsfield Building (built in 1927), and the Field Building (built in 1934).
The Architect and Design
Daniel Burnham was a very important architect. He often worked with Marshall Field. Burnham designed an addition to the Marshall Field and Company Building in 1892. He also designed the Field Museum of Natural History around 1900.
Burnham finished his plans for the Conway Building in April 1912. He then left Chicago and sadly passed away in Germany two months later. The building looks a lot like another famous building Burnham designed. This is the Flatiron Building in New York City.
Both buildings have twenty-one floors. They also have rounded corners. And they are both decorated in a special style called "Beaux-Arts." This style uses fancy, classical designs. People think both buildings were inspired by an old building in Rome called the Palazzo di Propaganda Fide.
After Burnham passed away, other architects took over. Ernest R. Graham, Peirce Anderson, and Edward Probst finished the project. They worked under the name Graham, Burnham & Co. The building was completed in 1913.
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Modern Day Use
The Burnham Center is a very important building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 9, 1984. This means it is recognized as a historic landmark.
For a long time, a company called Chicago Title & Trust Co. had its main office there. But in 1992, they moved to a new building. That new building is called the Chicago Title and Trust Center. After they moved out, the old building became known as the Burnham Center.
Today, the Burnham Center is home to many businesses. For example, the Chicago offices of Grubhub are located there.
