Printing House Row District facts for kids
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South Dearborn Street – Printing House Row North Historic District
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The Manhattan Building (far right), the Fisher Building (far left), and the Old Colony Building (middle-left), three of the four buildings in the district.
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 Location in Chicago metropolitan area
Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | S. Dearborn St. Chicago, IL |
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| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Chicago |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000705 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 7, 1976 |
| Designated NHLD | January 7, 1976 |
The Printing House Row District is a very important historical area in Chicago, Illinois. It's located in the Loop, which is a busy part of downtown Chicago. This district is special because it has four amazing buildings. These buildings helped change how skyscrapers were built!
This area was named a National Historic Landmark on January 7, 1976. This means it's a place of national importance. It also became a Chicago Landmark on May 9, 1996. The four famous buildings here are the Monadnock Building, the Manhattan Building, the Fisher Building, and the Old Colony Building.
Contents
What Makes Printing House Row Special?
The Printing House Row District includes four buildings. They all face South Dearborn Street. This street is between West Jackson Boulevard and West Ida B. Wells Drive. Each building has a unique story about how it helped shape modern architecture.
Meet the Buildings
These buildings are important for their design. They also show big steps forward in how skyscrapers were built. This happened in the late 1800s.
The Manhattan Building
The Manhattan Building was built from 1889 to 1891. It was designed by William Le Baron Jenney. This building was the first skyscraper to have its entire weight held up by a metal frame inside. When it was finished, it was the tallest building in the world!
The Old Colony Building
The Old Colony Building was built from 1893 to 1894. It was designed by Holabird & Roche. This building showed how to build tall buildings on narrow pieces of land. It was also strong enough to handle the heavy machines used for printing.
The Fisher Building
The Fisher Building was built from 1895 to 1896. It was designed by Daniel H. Burnham. This building was one of the first to use "curtain wall" construction. A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building. It keeps out the weather but doesn't hold up the building's weight.
The Monadnock Building
The Monadnock Building was built in two parts. One part was designed by Burnham & Root. The other part was designed by Holabird & Roche. This building is one of the biggest commercial buildings ever made using walls that hold up the building's weight. These are called "load-bearing masonry walls."
