Marshall and Fox
| Company type | Architectural partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Defunct | 1926 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Key people | Benjamin H. Marshall, Charles E. Fox |
| Products | Hotels, apartment complexes, private homes, theaters |
Marshall and Fox was an architectural partnership operating in Chicago, United States from 1905 until 1926. The firm’s principals, Benjamin H. Marshall and Charles E. Fox, were responsible for designing a variety of prominent buildings, focusing largely on upscale hotels and apartment complexes both within Chicago and in other locations.
Benjamin Howard Marshall
Born in Chicago on May 5, 1874, Benjamin H. Marshall completed his formal education at the Harvard School located in Kenwood. Motivated by the influence of the World's Columbian Exposition held in 1893, he embarked on a career in architecture by apprenticing with Marble and Wilson at age 17, becoming a partner there two years later. In 1905, he established his own firm and recruited Charles Eli Fox, an architect educated at MIT.[1]
Among Marshall’s initial undertakings was a project that was destroyed during the devastating Iroquois Theater Fire of 1903.[2] Nevertheless, between 1905 and 1925, the duo of Marshall and Fox delivered numerous landmark structures throughout Chicago. Marshall’s architectural designs were even showcased during the architecture segment of the 1928 Summer Olympics.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Renowned for his business acumen and artistic sensibility, Marshall was recognized more for his creative design approach than structural innovation. Following Fox’s death in 1926, he managed the firm on his own until retiring in the 1930s after experiencing financial difficulties amid the Great Depression. Subsequently, he lived in the Drake Hotel — one of his own creations — where he continued to contribute interior designs.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Additionally, Marshall commissioned an opulent residence for himself located in Wilmette, Illinois.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Charles Eli Fox
Charles Eli Fox (July 1, 1870 – October 31, 1926) hailed from Reading, Pennsylvania. After completing architectural studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he relocated to Chicago in 1891. His early career included work with the firm Holabird & Roche, where he gained expertise in steel-frame construction. From 1905 until his death in 1926, Fox partnered with Marshall, acting as the firm’s specialist in construction and overseeing project management.
Works
Beginning in 1906, Marshall and Fox undertook several commissions for the South Shore Country Club, culminating with a Mediterranean Revival style clubhouse completed in 1916. This building now serves as Chicago’s South Shore Cultural Center and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Among their major achievements are the 1910 Blackstone Hotel, also listed on the National Register, alongside the adjacent Blackstone Theater—currently known as DePaul University's Merle Reskin Theatre. Other significant projects include the Stewart Apartments, Drake Hotel, the Mayslake Peabody Estate located in Oak Brook, Illinois, Traverse City’s Park Place Hotel, as well as Chicago’s Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building and Lake Shore Trust and Savings Bank Building. Their portfolio extends beyond Chicago to include Philadelphia's Schaff Building, Biloxi's Edgewater Gulf Hotel, Chicago's sister property — the Edgewater Beach Hotel — and St. Paul’s renowned Fitzgerald Theater. Additional works encompass Illinois’ Kaskaskia Hotel and Maine’s Cobe Estate.
The firm also designed numerous distinguished private homes along Chicago’s North Shore, such as those at 681 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, IL—which briefly appeared in Home Alone—and at 615 Lincoln Avenue in Glencoe, IL.
Successor firms
Following Marshall's departure from the firm, it continued under the name Walton and Kegley until 1950, after which it was known as Walton and Walton until 1969. The firm's historical records are preserved at the University of Texas.