The Waterman Building is a historic building on
State Street in
Chicago's
Loop. Designed by
Holabird and Roche, construction began in 1919 was completed in 1920.[2][3] The first floor originally housed the
Waterman Pen Company's Chicago store, while Waterman's offices were located on upper floors.[2]
History
In 1918, the Waterman Pen Company began leasing the property and initially announced plans to renovate the existing building and replace its facade, at an estimated cost of $100,000.[4][5][6] However, Waterman instead built an entirely new building, at a cost of $225,000.[3] Designed by
Holabird and Roche, it was the first new building to be built in Chicago's Loop following the start of
World War I.[3] The exterior was clad in blue terra cotta and encaustic mosaic panels, while the interior featured
black walnut furnishing and fixtures, a vaulted ceiling decorated in silver and gray, and cork tile flooring.[1][7][8] Waterman moved into the building on May 10, 1920.[2][9][1][8]
In 1922, the
Chicago Business College began leasing the sixth floor of the building.[10][11] In 1923, the
White Star Line began leasing the building's second floor for $10,000 a year.[12] On October 20, 1938, Three Sisters, a woman's apparel shop, opened its fifth Chicago-area store in the Waterman Building.[13][14] On February 21, 1952, Mary Jane Shoes opened its store in the building.[15][16][17]
In the 1960s, the building was home to Stanley Green's, a
kosher cafeteria and buffet.[18] The cafeteria was located on the ground floor, while the lower floor featured the dining room and cocktail lounge.[18] From 1967 to 2018, the restaurant Beef and Brandy was located on the ground floor, while its bar, the Bar Below, was located on the lower floor.[19][20] In 2018, the building was sold and
Sonder Corp. intended to renovate it and open a 41 room hotel in the top four stories, with retail on the first two floors.[21][19][22][23] However, this plan did not come to fruition, and the building has been again listed for sale.
References
^
abc"
Waterman Open Chicago Building", Walden's Stationer and Printer. Vol. 44, No. 1. May 1920. p. 108. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
^
abc"
New Chicago Home for Waterman", Walden's Stationer and Printer. Vol. 43, No. 18. April 1920. p. 70. Retrieved November 9, 2021.