{"title":"Reliance Building","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"original-late-19th-century-american-ornamental-bower-barff-cast-iron-reliance-building-office-door-handle-with-bronze-shank","title":"original late 19th century american ornamental bower-barff cast iron reliance building office door handle with bronze shank","description":"original late 19th century ornamental office door cast iron doorknob removed from the c. 1890-95 reliance building during renovations. the elegantly designed doorknob was fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the original bower-barff finish remains largely intact. the reliance building is the first skyscraper to have large plate glass windows make up the majority of its surface area, foreshadowing a feature of skyscrapers that would become dominant in the 20th century. the building was designed by charles b. atwood of daniel h. burnham's architectural firm, with e.c. shankland as engineer. its basement and ground floor, designed by john wellborn root, were constructed in 1890, while the upper three stories of the building previously on the site remained suspended above on jackscrews. the addition of the remaining floors in 1894-1895 completed the building and marked the \"first comprehensive achievement\" of the chicago construction method. the building's plate-glass windows are set within a tiled facade. its steel-frame superstructure is built atop concrete caissons sunk as much as 125 feet beneath the footing. the reliance building has been called \"proto-modernist\" in its lack of the hierarchy found in classical facades. its stacks of projecting bay windows and terra cotta cladding create an effect of extraordinary lightness. it was a direct precursor of the all-glass friedrichstrasse skyscraper proposed by mies van der rohe in 1921.  measures approximately 2 1\/4 inches in diameter.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669576356138,"sku":"UR-13113-12","price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120305-021c_2.jpg?v=1760237837"},{"product_id":"late-19th-century-american-ornamental-cast-iron-reliance-building-interior-passage-door-backplate-with-protruding-collar-or-thimble","title":"late 19th century american ornamental cast iron reliance building interior passage door backplate with protruding collar or thimble","description":"original late 19th century ornamental cast iron doorknob backplate removed from the c. 1890-95 reliance building during renovations. the elegantly designed escutcheon was fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the reliance building is the first skyscraper to have large plate glass windows make up the majority of its surface area, foreshadowing a feature of skyscrapers that would become dominant in the 20th century. the building was designed by charles b. atwood of daniel h. burnham's architectural firm, with e.c. shankland as engineer. its basement and ground floor, designed by john wellborn root, were constructed in 1890, while the upper three stories of the building previously on the site remained suspended above on jackscrews. the addition of the remaining floors in 1894-1895 completed the building and marked the \"first comprehensive achievement\" of the chicago construction method. the building's plate-glass windows are set within a tiled facade. its steel-frame superstructure is built atop concrete caissons sunk as much as 125 feet beneath the footing. the reliance building has been called \"proto-modernist\" in its lack of the hierarchy found in classical facades. its stacks of projecting bay windows and terra cotta cladding create an effect of extraordinary lightness. it was a direct precursor of the all-glass friedrichstrasse skyscraper proposed by mies van der rohe in 1921. measures 6 3\/4 x 2 1\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669699301674,"sku":"UR-14323-12","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120703-027m_2.jpg?v=1760153236"},{"product_id":"original-ornamental-cast-iron-19th-century-chicago-reliance-office-building-interior-doorknob-backplate-with-fanciful-volutes","title":"original ornamental cast iron 19th century chicago reliance office building interior doorknob backplate with fanciful volutes","description":"original late 19th century ornamental cast iron doorknob backplate removed from the c. 1890-95 reliance building during renovations. the elegantly designed escutcheon was fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the reliance building is the first skyscraper to have large plate glass windows make up the majority of its surface area, foreshadowing a feature of skyscrapers that would become dominant in the 20th century. the building was designed by charles b. atwood of daniel h. burnham's architectural firm, with e.c. shankland as engineer. its basement and ground floor, designed by john wellborn root, were constructed in 1890, while the upper three stories of the building previously on the site remained suspended above on jackscrews. the addition of the remaining floors in 1894-1895 completed the building and marked the \"first comprehensive achievement\" of the chicago construction method. the building's plate-glass windows are set within a tiled facade. its steel-frame superstructure is built atop concrete caissons sunk as much as 125 feet beneath the footing. the reliance building has been called \"proto-modernist\" in its lack of the hierarchy found in classical facades. its stacks of projecting bay windows and terra cotta cladding create an effect of extraordinary lightness. it was a direct precursor of the all-glass friedrichstrasse skyscraper proposed by mies van der rohe in 1921. measures 8 x 2 1\/2 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669699596586,"sku":"UR-14328-12","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120703-026m_2.jpg?v=1760241505"},{"product_id":"original-late-19th-century-mahogany-wood-reliance-building-interior-office-door-with-intact-florentine-pattern-glass-inset","title":"original late 19th century mahogany wood reliance building interior office door with intact \"florentine\" pattern glass inset","description":"c. 1895 original darkly stained mahogany wood office door salvaged from the historic reliance building, located in downtown chicago. the interior office door led to the offices of the kellberg institute for hygiene, massage and medical gymnastics assigned to the 9th floor. the square textured glass inset contains the \"florentine\" pattern, and was likely fabricated by diamond or possibly the pittsburgh glass company. the door hardware was removed long ago. the hand-painted black lettering remains largely intact. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor.  the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 83 x 35 3\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669727187242,"sku":"UR-14514-12","price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120723-041m_2.jpg?v=1760153826"},{"product_id":"original-c-1895-american-downtown-chicago-reliance-commercial-building-interior-mahogany-wood-office-door-with-textured-glass-inset","title":"original c. 1895 american downtown chicago reliance commercial building interior mahogany wood office door with textured glass inset","description":"19th century original darkly stained mahogany wood office door salvaged from the historic reliance building, located in downtown chicago. the interior office door led to the offices of ella's tea leaf studio. the square textured glass inset was likely fabricated by diamond or possibly the pittsburgh glass company. the door hardware was removed long ago. the hand-painted black lettering remains largely intact. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor.  the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 83 x 35 3\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669727351082,"sku":"UR-14515-12","price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120723-040m_2.jpg?v=1760242006"},{"product_id":"19th-century-american-interior-reliance-building-private-mahogany-wood-utility-door-with-florentine-pattern-textured-glass","title":"19th century american interior reliance building \"private\" mahogany wood utility door with \"florentine\" pattern textured glass","description":"c. 1895 original darkly stained mahogany wood utility door salvaged from the historic reliance building, located in downtown chicago. the square textured glass inset contains the \"florentine\" pattern, and was likely fabricated by diamond or possibly the pittsburgh glass company. the door hardware was removed long ago. the hand-painted \"private\" black lettering remains largely intact. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor.  the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 83 x 29 1\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669727580458,"sku":"UR-14516-12","price":395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120723-044_2.jpg?v=1760242025"},{"product_id":"largely-intact-late-19th-century-mahogany-wood-interior-reliance-building-benjamin-co-office-door-with-textured-glass-inset","title":"largely intact late 19th century mahogany wood interior reliance building \"benjamin co.\" office door with textured glass inset","description":"c. 1895 original darkly stained mahogany wood office door salvaged from the historic reliance building, located in downtown chicago. the interior office door led to the benjamin company \"shop\" offices (unassigned foor). the square-shaped textured plate glass inset contains the \"florentine\" pattern, and was likely fabricated by diamond or possibly the pittsburgh glass company. the door hardware was removed long ago. the hand-painted black lettering remains largely intact. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor.  the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 84 1\/4 x 34 3\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669727940906,"sku":"UR-14517-12","price":495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120723-043m_2.jpg?v=1760329852"},{"product_id":"large-quantity-of-matching-ornamental-cast-iron-bower-barff-ball-finial-hinges-salvaged-from-the-historically-important-reliance-building","title":"large quantity of matching ornamental cast iron bower-barff ball finial hinges salvaged from the historically important reliance building","description":"20 matching original american 19th century interior reliance building office door hinges fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the loose pin hinges with intact ball finials contain a uniform baked black enameled or bower-barff surface treatment. each hinge leaf exhibits low-relief scrollwork. the knuckles are free from major wear and tear. each hinge has smooth movement and pivots with ease. priced for the lot. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669730496810,"sku":"UR-14522-12","price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120724-027m_2.jpg?v=1760153851"},{"product_id":"large-lot-of-original-c-1895-interior-ornamental-cast-iron-reliance-building-wood-window-sash-lifts-with-largely-intact-bower-barff-finish","title":"large lot of original c. 1895 interior ornamental cast iron reliance building wood window sash lifts with largely intact bower-barff finish","description":"matching group of late 19th century interior office window sash lifts salvaged from the historically important reliance building located in downtown chicago. the ornamental cast iron window handles retain most of the original bower-barff finish. fabricated around 1895 by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. priced for the lot. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure approximately 6 1\/4 x 2 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669730726186,"sku":"UR-14524-12","price":300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120724-007n_2.jpg?v=1760153886"},{"product_id":"remarkably-rare-early-20th-century-reliance-building-basement-level-encased-glass-astatic-switchboard-type-thomson-watthour-meter","title":"remarkably rare early 20th century reliance building basement level encased glass astatic switchboard type thomson watthour meter","description":"all original and hard to find early 20th century oversized astatic switchboard type thomson electromechanical watthour meter designed and fabricated by the general electric company, schenectady, ny. the “cs” type direct current, three-wire electricity meter was first introduced in 1907. the thomson watthour meter (the so-called ” recording wattmeter”) is the earliest example of an american direct-current motor meter, and most other direct-current watthour meters differ from it only in details of design and construction. this meter contains a double set of current coils and the moving element is composed of two armatures astatically arranged on a single shaft so that any uniform magnetic field tending to weaken the torque produced by one armature will strengthen the torque of the other by a like amount. the magnets are also astatically arranged and enclosed in a laminated shield of soft steel punchings to protect them from external magnetic fields and the strong fields caused by short circuits through the meter. the line current passes through the fixed field windings, and the armature, which is wound with fine wire, is connected through a series resistance across the line. on the shaft of the motor is a disk of copper or aluminum which rotates between the poles of several permanent magnets. the upper end of the armature shaft has a worm which engages with the first gear wheel of the register. the intricate instruments are fully enclosed in a reinforced cast brass frame containing clear glass panels. the top-mounted kilowatt hour readout is comprised of four diminutive dials meters mounted against a white porcelain enameled copper backplate. the meter remains in exceptional original condition with intact mounting studs and threaded terminal plugs found on the backside. weighs nearly 95 pounds. measures 11 1\/2 x 9 x 20 inches. salvaged from the subterranean depths of the reliance building. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669730922794,"sku":"UR-14527-12","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120723-028m_2.jpg?v=1760242077"},{"product_id":"group-of-four-matching-late-19th-century-ornamental-cast-iron-reliance-building-interior-utility-door-ball-finial-hinges","title":"group of four matching late 19th century ornamental cast iron reliance building interior utility door ball finial hinges","description":"four matching original american 19th century interior reliance building utility door hinges fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the loose pin hinges with intact ball finials contain a uniform baked black enameled or bower-barff surface treatment. each hinge leaf exhibits low-relief scrollwork. the knuckles are free from major wear and tear. each hinge has smooth movement and pivots with ease. priced for the lot. measures 3 1\/2 x 3 1\/2 inches. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669731021098,"sku":"UR-14528-12","price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120724-023n_2.jpg?v=1760242112"},{"product_id":"early-20th-century-reliance-building-interior-office-single-electric-pendant-light-fixture-with-oversized-opalescent-white-glass-shade","title":"early 20th century reliance building interior office single electric pendant light fixture with oversized opalescent white glass shade","description":"documented early 20th century american single electric pendant light ceiling fixture salvaged from the historic reliance building during extensive renovations occurring in the 1990's. the interior office \"schoolhouse\" style fixture retains the original spun yellow brass shade fitter, steel chain and brass ceiling \"cap\" or canopy with stem. the three knurled edge set screws keep the oversized white opalescent glass shade securely in place. the single incandescent lamp ceramic socket is original and intact. the antique ceiling fixture was likely fabricated by or for r. williamson \u0026amp; co., chicago, il.  measures approximately 16 x 39 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669732462890,"sku":"UR-14530-12","price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/picture53_5_2.jpg?v=1760329956"},{"product_id":"matching-lot-of-original-c-1895-interior-reliance-building-office-door-cast-iron-escutcheons-and-doorknobs-with-bower-barff-finish","title":"matching lot of original c. 1895 interior reliance building office door cast iron escutcheons and doorknobs with bower-barff finish","description":"all original c. 1895 interior office door hardware salvaged from the reliance building during extensive renovations in the 1990's. the lot consists of two matching ornamental cast iron spiral-shaped doorknobs with two escutcheons accentuated with volutes. the office building hardware was fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford. ct. the original bower-barff finish remains largely intact. priced for the lot. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure approximately 8 x 2 1\/2 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669735543082,"sku":"UR-14534-12","price":295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120724-024m_2.jpg?v=1760417562"},{"product_id":"matching-set-of-original-late-19th-century-interior-reliance-building-ornamental-cast-iron-doorknobs-and-escutcheons","title":"matching set of original late 19th century interior reliance building ornamental cast iron doorknobs and escutcheons","description":"all original c. 1895 interior office door hardware salvaged from the reliance building during extensive renovations in the 1990's. the lot consists of two matching ornamental cast iron spiral-shaped doorknobs with two oversized escutcheons accentuated with volutes. the office building hardware was fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford. ct. the original bower-barff finish remains largely intact. priced for the lot. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure approximately 10 x 2 1\/2 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669736001834,"sku":"UR-14535-12","price":225.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120724-025m_2.jpg?v=1760153903"},{"product_id":"original-early-20th-century-reliance-building-interior-office-schoolhouse-style-single-electric-light-fixture-or-pendant-with-oversized-globe","title":"original early 20th century reliance building interior office \"schoolhouse\" style single electric light fixture or pendant with oversized globe","description":"early 20th century american single electric pendant light ceiling fixture salvaged from the historic reliance building during extensive renovations occurring in the 1990's. the interior office \"schoolhouse\" style fixture retains the original spun yellow brass shade fitter, steel chain and brass ceiling \"cap\" or canopy with stem. the three knurled edge set screws keep the oversized white opalescent glass shade securely in place. the single incandescent lamp ceramic socket is original and intact. the hardware contains a dark metallic bronze finish. the antique ceiling fixture was likely fabricated by or for r. williamson \u0026amp; co., chicago, il. measures approximately 14 x 33 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669737050410,"sku":"UR-14536-12","price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120725-006m_2.jpg?v=1760153926"},{"product_id":"fantastic-early-20th-century-ornamental-copper-plated-cast-iron-reliance-building-lobby-cutler-mail-collection-box-with-hinged-door","title":"fantastic early 20th century ornamental copper-plated cast iron reliance building lobby \"cutler\" mail collection box with hinged door","description":"all original early 20th century interior reliance office building lobby \"cutler\" mail collection box designed and fabricated by or for the cutler mail chute co., rochester, ny. the highly ornamented flush mount oversized mail box contains a single spacious compartment enclosed with galvanized steel sheet metal. the hinged door and surrounding frame are comprised of cast iron with original copper-plated finish largely intact. the letter box is adorned with neoclassical design motifs in addition to the company's emblem. commercial building mail chutes are a largely defunct letter collection device typically used in late 19th and early 20th century office buildings. letters were dropped from the upper stories and collected (usually at the ground level) at a central depository by the postal service. this innovation was before the time of the modern \"mail room\" normally associated nowadays with high rise buildings. it was for the convenience of the users of the building so they would not have to take their mail to an outside mail box or to the post office. james goold cutler received a patent on september 11, 1883 for the mail chute system. the first installation was in 1884 in the elwood building in rochester, new york. cutler ultimately received thirty patents for variations of his invention. the original approved patent no. 284,951 design stated that it must \"be of metal, distinctly marked u.s. letter box,\" and that the \"door must open on hinges on one side, with the bottom of the door not less than 2'6\" above the floor.\" if the building was more than two stories then the collection box was to be outfitted with a cushion to prevent injury to the mail. the mail chutes had to be accessible along its entire length so lodged mail could be removed. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 27 x 16 x 5 1\/2 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669737312554,"sku":"UR-14538-12","price":1500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120724-010m_2.jpg?v=1760242152"},{"product_id":"original-c-1900-10-american-reliance-building-office-interior-schoolhouse-pendant-light-fixture-with-oversized-white-opalescent-globe","title":"original c. 1900-10 american reliance building office interior \"schoolhouse\" pendant light fixture with oversized white opalescent globe","description":"early 20th century american single electric pendant light ceiling fixture salvaged from the historic reliance building during extensive renovations occurring in the 1990's. the interior office \"schoolhouse\" style fixture retains the original brass-plated shade fitter, steel chain and ceiling \"cap\" or canopy with stem. the three knurled edge set screws keep the oversized white opalescent glass shade securely in place. the single incandescent lamp ceramic socket is original and intact. the antique ceiling fixture was likely fabricated by or for r. williamson \u0026amp; co., chicago, il. measures approximately 16 x 39 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669737541930,"sku":"UR-14540-12","price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120725-005m_2.jpg?v=1760330028"},{"product_id":"original-late-19th-century-single-sided-heavy-gauge-stamped-steel-reliance-building-wall-vent-cover-with-union-jack-design-motif","title":"original late 19th century single-sided heavy gauge stamped steel reliance building wall vent cover with \"union jack\" design motif","description":"intact c. 1890's american interior wall-mount single-sided vent cover salvaged from the historically important reliance building. the heavy gauge stamped steel vent cover features a repeating pierced metal \"union jack\" design motif. the edges contain six screw holes for mounting purposes. uniform black enameled finish. exact fabricator unknown. measures 24 x 12 inches. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 24 x 12 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669738459434,"sku":"UR-14553-12","price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120727-011m_2.jpg?v=1760330086"},{"product_id":"original-c-1895-gothic-style-white-glazed-terra-cotta-exterior-reliance-building-architrave-fragment-with-allover-crazed-surface","title":"original c. 1895 gothic style white glazed terra cotta exterior reliance building architrave fragment with allover crazed surface","description":"genuine 19th century white glazed terra cotta architrave building facade fragment removed from the historically important reliance building during extensive renovations completed in the late 1990's. the gothic style fragment with opposing corner beds contains a subtle allover crazed finish, likely caused from prolonged exposure to the outdoor elements. the reliance building's terra cotta facade or curtain was designed by charles atwood and executed by the northwestern terra cotta company, chicago. il. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 12 x 10 x 5 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669739180330,"sku":"UR-14565-12","price":175.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120724-029n_2.jpg?v=1760330099"},{"product_id":"group-of-three-original-nicely-aged-late-19th-century-reliance-building-master-floor-key-rings-with-lightly-incised-office-door-numbers","title":"group of three original nicely aged late 19th century reliance building \"master\" floor key rings with lightly incised office door numbers","description":"set of three unique chief engineer master key rings representing the 8th, 11th, and 12th floors. the nicely aged brass rings contain a series of closely spaced punched holes containing the key corresponding to the office door located on the floor. the inner portion of the rings contain the words \"reliance building\" in lightly incised lettering. some of the keys, most replaced over the years when locks where changed, were left on the rings. the original keys would have been fabricated by or for the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., new britain, ct. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669739245866,"sku":"UR-14566-12","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120723-046m_2.jpg?v=1760330128"},{"product_id":"late-19th-or-early-20th-century-reliance-building-chief-engineer-15th-floor-yellow-brass-metal-master-key-ring-with-lightly-incised-numbers","title":"late 19th or early 20th century reliance building chief engineer \"15th floor\" yellow brass metal master key ring with lightly incised numbers","description":"very unique chief engineer master key ring representing the 15th floor of the historic reliance building. the nicely aged brass ring contains a series of closely spaced punched holes containing the key corresponding to the office door located on the floor. some of the keys, most replaced over the years when locks where changed, were left on the rings. the original keys would have been fabricated by or for the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., new britain, ct. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669739409706,"sku":"UR-14569-12","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120729-20120729-008m_2.jpg?v=1760417653"},{"product_id":"group-of-eight-matching-c-1895-antique-american-neoclassical-style-cast-iron-reliance-building-interior-office-door-backplates","title":"group of eight matching c. 1895 antique american neoclassical style cast iron reliance building interior office door backplates","description":"eight matching original late 19th century american ornamental cast iron interior reliance building office door backplates designed and fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the matching backplates retain the original \"rustproof\" bower-barff baked enameled finish. priced for the lot of eight. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure approximately 10 x 2 1\/2 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669739606314,"sku":"UR-14572-12","price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120729-005m_2.jpg?v=1760154043"},{"product_id":"late-19th-century-reliance-office-building-chief-engineer-3rd-floor-master-office-door-key-ring-comprised-of-brass-with-incised-numbers","title":"late 19th century reliance office building chief engineer \"3rd floor\" master office door key ring comprised of brass with incised numbers","description":"very unique chief engineer master key ring representing the 3rd floor of the historic reliance building. the nicely aged brass ring contains a series of closely spaced punched holes containing the key corresponding to the office door located on the floor. some of the keys, most replaced over the years when locks where changed, were left on the rings. the original keys would have been fabricated by or for the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., new britain, ct. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669739802922,"sku":"UR-14575-12","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120729-20120729-011m_2.jpg?v=1760242252"},{"product_id":"two-late-19th-century-original-white-glazed-terra-cotta-reliance-building-facade-architrave-fragments-with-corner-bead-profile","title":"two late 19th century original white glazed terra cotta reliance building facade architrave fragments with corner bead profile","description":"genuine 19th century white glazed terra cotta architrave building facade fragments removed from the historically important reliance building during extensive renovations completed in the late 1990's. the gothic style fragments contain a subtle allover crazed finish, likely caused from prolonged exposure to the outdoor elements. the reliance building's terra cotta facade or curtain was designed by charles atwood and executed by the northwestern terra cotta company, chicago. il. priced for the set. make for ideal bookends. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure 12 x 7 x 4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669741113642,"sku":"UR-14577-12","price":300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120724-032m_2.jpg?v=1760330150"},{"product_id":"lot-of-eight-matching-c-1895-ornamental-cast-iron-reliance-building-office-door-neoclassical-style-escutcheons-with-volutes","title":"lot of eight matching c. 1895 ornamental cast iron reliance building office door neoclassical style escutcheons with volutes","description":"eight matching original late 19th century american ornamental cast iron interior reliance building office door backplates designed and fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the matching backplates retain the original \"rustproof\" bower-barff baked enameled finish. priced for the lot of eight. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure approximately 10 x 2 1\/2 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669743014186,"sku":"UR-14592-12","price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120731-014m_2.jpg?v=1760417751"},{"product_id":"large-lot-of-matching-19th-century-reliance-building-passage-or-utility-door-ornamental-cast-iron-doorknobs-with-bower-barff-finish","title":"large lot of matching 19th century reliance building passage or utility door ornamental cast iron doorknobs with bower-barff finish","description":"large lot of original ornamental cast iron doorknobs salvaged from the historically important reliance building. the decorative iron doorknobs retain the original bower-barff baked enameled finish. the handles were used on passage, bathroom or utility doors. fabricated in 1895 by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure approximately 2 1\/4 inches in diameter.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669744062762,"sku":"UR-14610-12","price":795.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120802-008m_2.jpg?v=1760154135"},{"product_id":"massive-assemblage-of-late-19th-century-ornamental-cast-iron-reliance-building-passage-door-loose-pin-ball-final-hinges","title":"massive assemblage of late 19th century ornamental cast iron reliance building passage door loose pin ball final hinges","description":"forty matching american 19th century passage door loose pine hinges salvaged from the reliance building (chicago, il.). the 4 1\/2 x 4 1\/2 inch hinges were used on the passage, utility and lavatory doors throughout the upper floors of the notable commercial building. the hinges are comprised of cast iron with original bower-barff finish largely intact. the ball finial hinges were fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. priced for the lot. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669744128298,"sku":"UR-14611-12","price":2000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120802-001m_2.jpg?v=1760154152"},{"product_id":"twenty-matching-original-late-19th-century-daniel-burnham-reliance-building-ornamental-cast-iron-office-door-ball-finial-hinges","title":"twenty matching original late 19th century daniel burnham reliance building ornamental cast iron office door ball finial hinges","description":"sizable lot of all matching american 19th century ornamental cast iron office door hinges salvaged from the upper floors of the reliance building (chicago, il). the twenty hinges were fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. each loose pin hinge with ball finials retain the original bower-barff baked black enameled finish. the hinges measures 5 x 5 inches and were used on the office doors only. priced for the lot. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669744193834,"sku":"UR-14612-12","price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120802-010m_2.jpg?v=1760154175"},{"product_id":"group-of-three-matching-c-1895-reliance-office-building-oversized-ornamental-cast-iron-swirl-pattern-doorknobs-with-bower-barff-finish","title":"group of three matching c. 1895 reliance office building oversized ornamental cast iron \"swirl pattern\" doorknobs with bower-barff finish","description":"three original ornamental cast iron doorknobs salvaged from the historically important reliance building. the decorative iron doorknobs retain the original bower-barff baked enameled finish. the handles were used exclusively on office and\/or entrance doors. fabricated in 1895 by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure approximately 2 1\/4 inches in diameter.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669744423210,"sku":"UR-14614-12","price":295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120802-009_1_2.jpg?v=1760242400"},{"product_id":"original-c-1895-interior-ornamental-riveted-joint-wrought-iron-reliance-building-elevator-door-or-grille-with-original-bower-barff-finish-intact","title":"original c. 1895 interior ornamental riveted joint wrought iron reliance building elevator door or grille with original bower-barff finish intact","description":"late 19th century german gothic style wrought iron interior elevator grillework or door panel salvaged from the extant historic reliance building located in downtown chicago, il. the elegantly designed scrollwork is riveted tightly against a traditional grid configuration. the ornamental ironwork was fabricated by the notable winslow brothers foundry, chicago, il. the original bower-barff finish remains largely intact. likely removed from a lower floor (e.g., 3-6). in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 77 1\/2 x 22 3\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669745176874,"sku":"UR-14626-12","price":1800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120803-010n_2.jpg?v=1760242458"},{"product_id":"c-1895-original-and-intact-mahogany-wood-interior-reliance-building-office-door-with-textured-glass-inset-containing-hand-painted-black-lettering","title":"c. 1895 original and intact mahogany wood interior reliance building office door with textured glass inset containing hand-painted black lettering","description":"late 19th century original mahogany wood interior office door salvaged from the historic reliance building, located in downtown chicago. the large commercial door led to the offices of the perfected dental products company, assigned to the 14th floor. the square textured glass inset contains the \"florentine\" pattern, and was likely fabricated by diamond or possibly the pittsburgh glass company. the door hardware was removed long ago. the hand-painted black lettering remains largely intact. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 83 1\/4 x 39 3\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669746651434,"sku":"UR-14649-12","price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120806-021m_2.jpg?v=1760242529"},{"product_id":"original-19th-century-interior-reliance-building-shortened-ornamental-cast-iron-elevator-sectional-header-with-original-bower-barff-finish","title":"original 19th century interior reliance building shortened ornamental cast iron elevator sectional header with original bower-barff finish","description":"petite-sized ornamental cast iron elevator sectional header section salvaged from the historically important reliance office building during extensive renovations completed in 1999. the intact ornamented neoclassical style single-sided headed features lightly embossed floral motifs and a bead \u0026amp; reel border running horizontally along the underside of the crown molding. the unique iron fragment was fabricated by the winslow brothers foundry, chicago, il. multiple sections available. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669746716970,"sku":"UR-14650-12","price":295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120806-20120806-024m_2.jpg?v=1760242552"},{"product_id":"late-19th-century-exterior-reliance-office-building-white-glazed-terra-cotta-fragment-containing-deeply-embossed-floral-quatrefoils","title":"late 19th century exterior reliance office building white glazed terra cotta fragment containing deeply embossed floral quatrefoils","description":"19th century white glazed terra cotta building facade fragment removed from the historically important reliance building during extensive renovations completed in the late 1990's. the gothic style fragment with deeply embossed quatrefoil floral rosettes, contains a subtle allover crazed finish, likely caused from prolonged exposure to the outdoor elements. the reliance building's terra cotta facade or curtain was designed by charles atwood and executed by the northwestern terra cotta company, chicago. il. priced for the set. make for ideal bookends. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 15 x 5 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669747241258,"sku":"UR-14658-12","price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120806-015m_2.jpg?v=1760154270"},{"product_id":"extravagant-late-19th-century-original-interior-reliance-office-building-ornamental-wrought-iron-elevator-grille-or-panel-with-abundant-scrollwork","title":"extravagant late 19th century original interior reliance office building ornamental wrought iron elevator grille or panel with abundant scrollwork","description":"finely crafted c. 1895 german gothic style interior wrought iron elevator grillework or panel salvaged from the extant historic reliance building located in downtown chicago, il. the elegantly designed scrollwork (consisting of fishtail end and c-scrolls) is riveted tightly against a traditional grid configuration. the ornamental ironwork was fabricated by the notable winslow brothers foundry, chicago, il. the original bower-barff appears largely intact (under a coat of black paint). likely removed from a lower floor (e.g., 3-6), and was used as a \"bridge\" between the doors and\/or additional side panels. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 78 x 12 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669748879658,"sku":"UR-14679-12","price":1800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120809-20120809-033m_2.jpg?v=1760417964"},{"product_id":"historically-important-late-19th-century-original-interior-reliance-building-ornamental-iron-elevator-grille-panel-with-header-and-kick-plate","title":"historically important late 19th century original interior reliance building ornamental iron elevator grille panel with header and kick plate","description":"finely crafted c. 1895 german gothic style interior wrought iron elevator grillework or panel salvaged from the extant historic reliance building located in downtown chicago, il. the elegantly designed scrollwork (consisting of fishtail end and c-scrolls) is riveted tightly against a traditional grid configuration. the ornamental ironwork was fabricated by the notable winslow brothers foundry, chicago, il. the original bower-barff appears largely intact (under a coat of black paint). likely removed from a lower floor (e.g., 3-6), and was used as a \"bridge\" between the doors and\/or additional side panels. the original ornamental cast iron header and kick plate are included with the grille. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 78 x 12 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669752058154,"sku":"UR-14716-12","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120809-043m_2.jpg?v=1760418105"},{"product_id":"pair-of-late-19th-century-exterior-bunham-atwood-cream-colored-reliance-building-gothic-style-terra-cotta-fragments","title":"pair of late 19th century exterior bunham \u0026 atwood cream-colored reliance building gothic style terra cotta fragments","description":"genuine 19th century white glazed terra cotta architrave building facade fragments removed from the historically important reliance building during extensive renovations completed in the late 1990's. the gothic style fragments contain a subtle allover crazed finish, likely caused from prolonged exposure to the outdoor elements. the reliance building's terra cotta facade or curtain was designed by charles atwood and executed by the northwestern terra cotta company, chicago. il. priced for the set. make for ideal bookends. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure 12 x 7 x 4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669759430954,"sku":"UR-14803-12","price":295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120821-20120821-007m_2.jpg?v=1760330885"},{"product_id":"original-late-19th-century-american-prairie-school-ornamental-exterior-reliance-building-facade-panel-with-cream-colored-glazed-finish","title":"original late 19th century american prairie school ornamental exterior reliance building facade panel with cream-colored glazed finish","description":"genuine 19th century white glazed terra cotta exterior building facade fragment removed from the historically important reliance building during extensive renovations completed in the late 1990's. the gothic style fragment with opposing corner beds contains a subtle allover crazed finish, likely caused from prolonged exposure to the outdoor elements. the reliance building's terra cotta facade or curtain was designed by charles atwood and executed by the northwestern terra cotta company, chicago. il. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669759856938,"sku":"UR-14806-12","price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120821-008m_2.jpg?v=1760418350"},{"product_id":"original-19th-century-varnished-mahogany-wood-interior-reliance-building-private-lavatory-door-with-intact-gold-leaf-lettering","title":"original 19th century varnished mahogany wood interior reliance building \"private\" lavatory door with intact gold leaf lettering","description":"c. 1895 original darkly stained mahogany wood utility door salvaged from the historic reliance building, located in downtown chicago. the square textured glass inset contains the \"florentine\" pattern, and was likely fabricated by diamond or possibly the pittsburgh glass company. the door hardware was removed long ago. the hand-painted \"private\" gold leaf lettering remains largely intact. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 82 3\/4  x 29 3\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669760413994,"sku":"UR-14809-12","price":425.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120822-002m_2.jpg?v=1760154747"},{"product_id":"largely-intact-american-mahogany-wood-reliance-building-interior-14th-floor-office-door-with-florentine-pattern-glass-panel-and-black-paint-numbers","title":"largely intact american mahogany wood reliance building interior 14th floor office door with \"florentine\" pattern glass panel and black paint numbers","description":"late 19th century original mahogany wood interior office door salvaged from the historic reliance building, located in downtown chicago. the large commercial door led to offices located in room 1403 on the 14th floor. the square textured glass inset contains the \"florentine\" pattern, and was likely fabricated by diamond or possibly the pittsburgh glass company. the door hardware was removed long ago. the hand-painted black lettering remains largely intact. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 83 x 29 3\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669760545066,"sku":"UR-14810-12","price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120822-003m_2.jpg?v=1760154769"},{"product_id":"darkly-stained-c-1895-mahogany-wood-interior-reliance-building-single-recessed-panel-office-door-with-florentine-pattern-glass-insert","title":"darkly stained c. 1895 mahogany wood interior reliance building single recessed panel office door with \"florentine\" pattern glass insert","description":"late 19th century original mahogany wood interior office door salvaged from the historic reliance building, located in downtown chicago. the interior single recessed panel commercial door led to offices assigned to the 15th floor. the square textured glass inset contains the \"florentine\" pattern, and was likely fabricated by diamond or possibly the pittsburgh glass company. the door hardware was removed long ago. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 83 1\/2 x 29 3\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669760610602,"sku":"UR-14812-12","price":425.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120822-005m_2.jpg?v=1760242968"},{"product_id":"c-1895-oversized-interior-varnished-mahogany-wood-reliance-office-building-single-recessed-panel-door-with-intact-textured-glass-pane","title":"c. 1895 oversized interior varnished mahogany wood reliance office building single recessed panel door with intact textured glass pane","description":"late 19th century original mahogany wood interior office door salvaged from the historic reliance building, located in downtown chicago. the interior single recessed panel commercial door led to offices assigned to the 11th floor. the square textured glass inset contains the \"florentine\" pattern, and was likely fabricated by diamond or possibly the pittsburgh glass company. the door hardware was removed long ago. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 83 x 35 1\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669760676138,"sku":"UR-14813-12","price":425.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120822-006n_2.jpg?v=1760242992"},{"product_id":"single-recessed-panel-mahogany-wood-interior-reliance-building-office-door-with-original-florentine-pattern-textured-glass-and-gold-leaf-numbers","title":"single recessed panel mahogany wood interior reliance building office door with original \"florentine\" pattern textured glass and gold leaf numbers","description":"late 19th century original mahogany wood interior office door salvaged from the historic reliance building, located in downtown chicago. the interior single recessed panel commercial door led to offices assigned to the 9th floor. the square textured glass inset contains the \"florentine\" pattern, and was likely fabricated by diamond or possibly the pittsburgh glass company. the door hardware was removed long ago. the gold leaf numbers remain largely intact. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 82 3\/4 x 29 3\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669760839978,"sku":"UR-14815-12","price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120822-020m_2.jpg?v=1760330931"},{"product_id":"early-20th-century-interior-reliance-building-office-schoolhouse-style-pendant-light-with-intact-spun-brass-ceiling-canopy-and-globe-fitter","title":"early 20th century interior reliance building office \"schoolhouse\" style pendant light with intact spun brass ceiling canopy and globe fitter","description":"original early 20th century american single electric pendant light ceiling fixture salvaged from the historic reliance building during extensive renovations occurring in the 1990's. the interior office \"schoolhouse\" style fixture retains the original spun brass shade fitter, steel chain and ceiling \"cap\" or canopy with stem. the three knurled edge set screws keep the oversized white opalescent glass shade securely in place. the single incandescent lamp ceramic socket is original and intact. the antique ceiling fixture was likely fabricated by or for r. williamson \u0026amp; co., chicago, il. the lighting hardware contains a dark metallic bronze enameled finish over brass. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures approximately 13 x 39 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669811597610,"sku":"UR-15150-12","price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120925-007m_2.jpg?v=1760419395"},{"product_id":"turn-of-the-century-american-antique-interior-reliance-office-building-single-electric-pendant-light-ceiling-fixture-with-white-opalescent-glass-shade","title":"turn of the century american antique interior reliance office building single electric pendant light ceiling fixture with white opalescent glass shade","description":"original early 20th century american single electric pendant light ceiling fixture salvaged from the historic reliance building during extensive renovations occurring in the 1990's. the interior office \"schoolhouse\" style fixture retains the original spun brass shade fitter, steel chain and ceiling \"cap\" or canopy with stem. the three knurled edge set screws keep the oversized white opalescent glass shade securely in place. the single incandescent lamp ceramic socket is original and intact. the antique ceiling fixture was likely fabricated by or for r. williamson \u0026amp; co., chicago, il. the lighting hardware contains a dark metallic bronze enameled finish over brass. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures approximately 15 x 37 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669811695914,"sku":"UR-15152-12","price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120925-009m_2.jpg?v=1760419418"},{"product_id":"original-c-1920-s-american-industrial-reliance-office-building-utility-closet-pendant-ceiling-light-fixture-with-turned-and-tapered-style-white-opalescent-glass-shade","title":"original c. 1920's american industrial reliance office building utility closet pendant ceiling light fixture with turned and tapered style white opalescent glass shade","description":"original early 20th century american single electric pendant light ceiling fixture salvaged from the historic reliance building during extensive renovations occurring in the 1990's. the interior office \"schoolhouse\" style fixture retains the original spun brass shade fitter, steel chain and ceiling \"cap\" or canopy with stem. the three knurled edge set screws keep the oversized white opalescent glass shade securely in place. the single incandescent lamp ceramic socket is original and intact. the antique ceiling fixture was likely fabricated by or for r. williamson \u0026amp; co., chicago, il. the lighting hardware contains a dark metallic bronze enameled finish over brass. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures approximately 10 x 41 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669812154666,"sku":"UR-15154-12","price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20120925-011m_2.jpg?v=1760155601"},{"product_id":"two-matching-late-19th-century-ornamental-cast-iron-interior-reliance-building-office-door-escutcheons-with-original-bower-barff-finish","title":"two matching late 19th century ornamental cast iron interior reliance building office door escutcheons with original bower-barff finish","description":"two matching original late 19th century american ornamental cast iron interior reliance building office door backplates designed and fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the matching backplates retain the original \"rustproof\" bower-barff baked enameled finish. priced for the pair. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure approximately 10 x 2 1\/2 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669879230762,"sku":"UR-15297-12","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20121010-012m_2.jpg?v=1760156154"},{"product_id":"group-of-four-original-late-19th-century-interior-reliance-building-office-door-ornamental-cast-iron-hinges-with-ball-finials","title":"group of four original late 19th century interior reliance building office door ornamental cast iron hinges with ball finials","description":"lot of four matching c. 1895 antique american interior reliance building office door ornamental cast iron door hings designed and fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the loose pin passage door hinges retain the original bower-barff baked enameled finish. the ball finials are original and intact. several matching hinges available. priced for the lot. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure 5 x 5 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669888962858,"sku":"UR-15328-12","price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20121013-019m_2.jpg?v=1760332493"},{"product_id":"pair-of-original-fully-functional-interior-reliance-building-ornamental-cast-iron-office-door-hinges-with-intact-bower-barff-plated-finish","title":"pair of original fully functional interior reliance building ornamental cast iron office door hinges with intact bower-barff plated finish","description":"pair of c. 1895 antique american interior reliance building office door ornamental cast iron door hings designed and fabricated by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the loose pin passage door hinges retain the original bower-barff baked enameled finish. the ball finials are original and intact. several matching hinges available. priced for the pair. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measure 5 x 5 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669889028394,"sku":"UR-15329-12","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20121013-022m_3.jpg?v=1760332508"},{"product_id":"c-1895-interior-reliance-office-building-interior-passage-door-hardware-comprised-of-cast-iron-with-original-bower-barff-finish","title":"c. 1895 interior reliance office building interior passage door hardware comprised of cast iron with original bower-barff finish","description":"c. 1890's ornamental cast iron doorknob and backplate salvaged from the historically important reliance building. the decorative hardware retains the original bower-barff baked enameled finish. surface wear evident. originally used on an interior office passage door. fabricated in 1895 by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 6 1\/2 x 2 1\/4 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50669975830826,"sku":"UR-16024-12","price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20121221-008n_2.jpg?v=1760158598"},{"product_id":"original-19th-century-interior-downtown-chicago-reliance-building-office-door-ornamental-cast-iron-doorknob-with-matching-escutcheon","title":"original 19th century interior downtown chicago reliance building office door ornamental cast iron doorknob with matching escutcheon","description":"intact ornamental cast iron doorknob and backplate salvaged from the historically important reliance building. the decorative hardware retains the original bower-barff baked enameled finish. surface wear evident. originally used on an interior office door with cylinder lock. fabricated in 1895 by the yale \u0026amp; towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. in 1890, real estate speculator william hale commissioned architects daniel burnham and john wellborn root to draw up plans for a new building located at the corner of state and washington streets (hale became acquainted with burnham \u0026amp; root from his other real estate projects, such as the rookery building). the architectural firm of burnham \u0026amp; root were renowned locally for designing several commercial buildings found throughout downtown chicago. root developed the floating raft system, which enabled designers to build large, steel-frame buildings on a reinforced concrete foundation, a necessity in chicago's moist soil. root and hale agreed that the new building needed to have large glass windows on the first floor with large, open spaces. hale intended to have several stories dedicated to smaller tenants, with offices for doctors and dentists on the uppermost floors. he also specifically emphasized the need for natural lighting on each and every floor. the plan for the reliance building was consistent with the growing concept of the chicago school of architecture, which emphasized the importance of designing to address the function of a building. carson pirie scott \u0026amp; co. was the first tenant of the reliance building, opening a dry goods store on the first floor once it was completed in 1891. after root's untimely death, daniel burnham recruited boston architect charles b. atwood to complete the building with e. c. shankland as lead engineer. atwood was able to implement his own design for the rest of the structure, using white glazed architectural terra-cotta cladding (on the two street facades) fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. burnham's building contractor of choice was george a. fuller, who had built the majority of chicago's tall office building throughout the latter half of the 19th century. the slender sixteen story steel frame skeleton was erected with unusual rapidity (completed over fifteen days in 1894). the reliance building, so named for its functionality, opened in march 1895. it was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices. in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. the interior contained four passenger elevators located close to the entrance. the german gothic style elevator cages and surrounding grillework, comprised of ornamental iron with bower-barff finish, were fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago. dark-stained mahogany woodwork was used throughout the building. the stairway, including newel posts, balustrade panels, stringers and risers are made of cast iron, with designs corresponding to and\/or harmonizing with the existing ornamentation (all subjected to the bower-barff process). the building struggled during the great depression, and slowly became dilapidated. subsequent commercial alterations and signage greatly disfigured the lower floors. the original projecting cornice was removed around 1948. after caron pirie scott \u0026amp; co. left the building for the merchandise mart, the first floor was occupied by karroll's, a menswear store. however, the building struggled to maintain tenants on the upper floors. the building continued to fall into disrepair, as the small size of its retail spaces were not appealing to business interests in the late 20th century. the city of chicago made a commitment to revitalize the structure, but city hall could not agree on a plan. the debate became particularly polarized after the 1989 demolition of the nearby mccarthy building, which angered preservationists but satisfied business interests by providing space for a modern office building. finally, in 1994, the mcclier corporation collaborated with the baldwin development company to restore the reliance building; these two groups had recently worked together to rehabilitate the rookery building. the reliance building's rehabilitation was completed in 1999. the former retail space was ultimately converted into a boutique hotel. measures 10 x 2 1\/2 inches.","brand":"vendor-unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50670077116714,"sku":"UR-16552-13","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0959\/7075\/4858\/files\/20130214-013m_2.jpg?v=1760248600"}],"url":"https:\/\/urbanremainschicago.com\/collections\/reliance-building.oembed?page=4","provider":"Urban Remains Chicago","version":"1.0","type":"link"}