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Marshall Field and Company Building

From Alfawiki
Marshall Field & Company
Company typeCorporation
IndustryRetail (department store)
Founded1852
FounderMarshall Field
Defunct2006
FateMerged into Macy's, Inc.
Headquarters
Chicago
,
United States
Area served
Midwest United States
Key people
Marshall Field (founder)
ProductsDepartment store retail goods
ParentFederated Department Stores (from 2006)

Marshall Field and Company Building

The Marshall Field and Company Building is a prominent department store edifice and recognized National Historic Landmark situated on State Street in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Conceived by architect Daniel Burnham in the Beaux-Arts and Commercial style styles, the structure's northern section, featuring a columned entrance, was constructed between 1901 and 1902, while the southern portion followed in 1905–1906. Serving as the flagship location for the Marshall Field's department store chain, it transitioned to Macy's ownership in 2006 after The May Department Stores Company was acquired by Federated Department Stores. Today, it remains the principal Macy’s store throughout the Midwest. Positioned within the Chicago Loop district of downtown Chicago’s central business area, the building occupies an entire city block bordered clockwise by North State Street to the west, East Randolph Street to the north, North Wabash Avenue to the east, and East Washington Street to the south. The origins of Field’s Chicago store date back to 1852, with an initial expansive retail establishment erected on this site in 1868. The current 1901 construction represents the fourth iteration of the department store at this location.

Over its long history, Marshall Field's has introduced numerous pioneering retail concepts within this building and its predecessors on the site,[1] earning recognition as one of the three most influential entities in shaping the national evolution of department stores and contributing significantly to the commercial economic development of the country.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag Following destruction caused by the "Great Chicago Fire" and a separation of wholesale from retail operations, the store reopened at State and Washington in a reconstructed building leased from the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Another fire in 1877 destroyed this structure, but when Singer rebuilt on the same site in 1879, Field secured financing to acquire ownership. Since then, the business has continuously occupied this location, expanding with four additional buildings to create what is now known as the "Marshall Field and Company Building."[2][3]

After the "Great Chicago Fire" of 1871, State Street emerged as Chicago’s primary retail district within the downtown "Loop", anchored by Marshall Field's and its antecedents housed in this building complex.[4] By the 1920s, retail hubs began developing in commuter suburbs.[4] To stay competitive during that decade, new suburban branches such as Marshall Field and Company Store were established.[5] Following World War II, suburban growth accelerated alongside economic prosperity, leading to the rise first of "strip" shopping centers and later enclosed regional malls along major roads and interstate highways like the "Magnificent Mile." This shift diminished the daily retail prominence of the "Loop," as downtown sales declined and commerce migrated outward along streetcar routes and eventually automobile corridors.[6] Over time, retail consolidated regionally and nationally with stores from across the country entering the market.[5] Despite these changes, the Marshall Field and Company Building has remained a fixture at this site. However, after merging into Macy's, focus shifted toward store-branded merchandise replacing many designer labels such as Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Miu Miu, and Jimmy Choo, resulting in dismantling several former designer departments (see image below).Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content

On September 9, 2006—the date marking both the merger and rebranding—the building’s official designation was changed to "Macy's at State Street".[7] Around this transition period, intense picketing and protests took place outside the store by opponents of both the merger/conversion and broader concerns about large-scale corporate consolidation nationwide.[8][9] After acquiring full control from his partners following the post-Civil War era, Marshall Field established Marshall Field & Company—a corporation that endured for 152 years—and had arranged for construction of this flagship building prior to his death. The emotional resistance to both discontinuing the corporate entity bearing his name and renaming its landmark building received widespread coverage across national newspapers, radio broadcasts, and television media.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have contentCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content

File:Marshall Field and Company.jpg
A surviving Marshall Field's building nameplate (2006)

Business Icon

The establishment operated a pioneering enterprise that redefined retail practices and challenged many of the prevailing retail norms of its era. The firm rapidly gained prominence, and by the 1880s, it ranked among the top three retail giants nationwide. Prior to Marshall Field's passing in 1906, his company had grown to become the largest wholesale and retail dry goods business globally. Marshall Field & Company introduced several innovations, including the first bridal registry, the initial in-store dining amenities, and the inaugural European purchasing office. Additionally, it was the pioneer in offering personal shopping assistants. By the early twentieth century, annual revenues exceeded $60 million, with buying offices established in major cities such as New York City, London, Paris, Tokyo, Stockholm, and Berlin.

File:Marshall field interior.jpg
File:20080326 Marshall Field and Company Building.jpg
The structure features three atria, including a five-story balconied vaulted ceiling adorned with a mosaic by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933), later associated with Tiffany & Co. (left, 1910) located in the southwest corner. On the right side, subtle variations in the exterior facade reveal different construction phases and years.

This edifice remains the world's second-largest department store. Marshall Field assumed control of operations in 1881 and was the first retailer to clearly display prices on merchandise, thereby eliminating the customary practice of bargaining and arbitrary pricing based on customer willingness to pay. Furthermore, Field endorsed his products with a renowned guarantee—offering complete refunds on all purchases—a policy inherited from his early mentor and partner Potter Palmer.

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Building details

File:Marshal Field at the Holidays.jpg
State Street entrance adorned with holiday decorations and vintage cars parked along the street, circa 1910s
File:Field's Tiffany Ceiling.jpg
Glass mosaic vaulted ceiling by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933), later associated with Tiffany & Co. in New York City, located within the Marshall Field & Company Building
File:Marshall Field Tea Room.jpg
Renowned two-story Tea Room restaurant featuring balconies inside the Marshall Field & Company Building
File:Marshall Field Building in 1905.jpg
View of the Marshall Field & Company Building as it appeared in 1905

Situated on State Street, the thirteen-story granite structure was erected in phases spanning from 1902 to 1906, occupying a subdivided block with additions completed in 1902, 1906, 1907, and 1914.[10][2][8] The two main sections facing State Street—the northern portion constructed in 1902 and the southern part completed between 1905 and 1906—were designed by Daniel H. Burnham (1846–1912).[11] At one point, this building held the title of the world's largest retail store, boasting approximately 73 acres (300,000 m2) of retail space and housing the globe’s most extensive departments for books, china, footwear, and toys.[12]

Within the present structure, multiple atria are featured: a five-story balconied atrium in the southwest corner is crowned by a dome with a mosaic ceiling crafted by Louis Comfort Tiffany; a thirteen-story skylit atrium occupies the northwest section; and a more recent atrium incorporating a central fountain is spanned by dual escalator banks.[10] The Tiffany dome was created over an eighteen-month period by fifty artisans and covers more than 6,000 square feet (560 m2), composed of around 1.6 million pieces of shimmering glass.[13][5] This dome represents the first iridescent glass dome ever created and remains the largest mosaic glass ceiling of its type.[1] Only Egypt’s ancient Temple of Karnak—with its towering 70 feet (21 m) columns dating back three millennia—compares to the four granite columns capped with 50 feet (15 m) Ionic-style capitals that adorn the building’s State Street façade.[2] The height of the building is estimated at approximately 150.68 feet (45.93 m).[10]

File:20070502 108 North State Street (2).JPG
Front façade of Marshall Field and Company Buildings on North State Street, shown behind ongoing construction at adjacent "Block 37" across State Street.

The edifice is distinguished by two prominent exterior clocks weighing roughly 7.5 short tons (6.7 long tons) each,[2] positioned at its northwest and southwest corners along State Street at Randolph and Washington Streets respectively.[10][11] The southwest clock, referred to as "The Great Clock," was installed on November 26, 1897, at the original Washington Street corner. Marshall Field intended this clock to serve as a landmark for his store—a gathering spot for shoppers. Prior to its installation, this corner had become a popular rendezvous point where visitors left notes on the store’s windows; the clock was introduced to discourage this practice and promote punctuality.[2]

Currently addressed as 111 North State Street between Washington and Randolph Streets, this building lies within Chicago’s designated "Loop" Retail Historic District in the Chicago "Loop." It faces across State Street from the future construction site known as "Block 37," across Randolph Street from the Joffrey Tower, and across Wabash Avenue from The Heritage at Millennium Park.[14] An underground public passageway links its basement to 25 East Washington Street, which formerly housed the Marshall Field's Men’s Store.[10] This building serves as a key node within Chicago’s extensive "Chicago Pedway" system.

Traditions and cultural significance

File:0609Departments 411 06 0.jpg
Norman Rockwell (1894–1978), renowned cover artist for the Saturday Evening Post, November 3, 1945 – "The Clock Mender"
File:Marshall Field Clock.jpg
The iconic "Great Clock" at Marshall Field's

The building is closely associated with several Christmas customs, including being the original manufacturing location of Frango chocolates and the site of the Walnut Room’s celebrated Christmas tree. At street level, it features elaborately decorated display windows that present a series of thirteen themed scenes along State Street. In recent years, these windows have illustrated narratives such as Snow White, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Paddington Bear, The Night Before Christmas, Harry Potter, and Cinderella.[15] Each year during the holiday season, a towering Christmas tree reaching three stories in height is installed.[10] Following concerns about the merger and conversion, Macy's issued a formal commitment to preserve key traditions, including maintaining a 45-foot (13.716 m) Christmas tree, operating a "Frango" kitchen on the seventh floor for public viewing, and continuing the animated holiday window displays.[7][16]

On November 3, 1945, American illustrator Norman Rockwell created a depiction of one of the clocks on the Marshall Field's building facade for the cover of the well-known Saturday Evening Post magazine. The artwork was titled "The Clock Mender."[1] This painting portrays a man perched on a ladder adjusting a Marshall Field's clock to match his pocket watch. The background features the historic Oriental Theatre, confirming the setting. In 1948, Rockwell gifted the original "The Clock Mender" painting to the store where it was displayed on the seventh floor before eventually being donated to the Chicago Historical Society.[17]

In literature, this building appears in John Dos Passos' novel The 42nd Parallel (1930), where the character Eric Egstrom is depicted working within its walls.

Notably, authors G. K. Chesterton and Sinclair Lewis encountered each other in the book department of this department store. Their meeting led to a joint effort on an unpublished play titled "Mary Queen of Scotch."[10]

Gallery

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TAMF
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MFaC
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EoCSDaM
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EOCDS
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EoCtL
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PMMFE
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named hardcore
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MF&CS
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EBOMF
  13. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NHLitCMA
  15. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).Template:Fix/category[permanent dead link]
  16. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). Template:Fix/category[dead link]
  17. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).Template:Fix/category[permanent dead link]

External links

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