National Register of Historic Places

Gage Group-Ascher, Keith, and Gage Buildings

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
November 14, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85002840

About this property

The Gage Group Buildings consist of three buildings located at 18, 24 and 30 S. Michigan Avenue, between Madison Street and Monroe Street, in Chicago, Illinois. They were built from 1890–1899, designed by Holabird & Roche for the three millinery firms - Gage, Keith and Ascher. The building at 18 S. Michigan Avenue has an ornamental façade designed by Louis Sullivan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 14, 1985, and was designated a Chicago Landmark on September 11, 1996. In addition, it is a historic district contributing property for the Chicago Landmark Historic Michigan Boulevard District. The façades of these buildings demonstrate two different approaches to the Chicago School, a design movement that led to the creation of modern commercial architecture. The buildings by Holabird & Roche are straightforward, while the facade designed by Sullivan exemplifies his more expressive approach. The tallest building is known as "18 South Michigan Avenue" and was previously called the Gage Brothers and Company Building. Before the Chicago street addresses were changed in 1909, the building had the address of 130 S. Michigan Avenue. The ornamental flourishes at the top of Sullivan's façade were pushed upwards when four stories were added in 1902 by different architects. This is one of only five buildings in Chicago designed by Louis Sullivan as a solo architect that are still standing. The two smaller buildings to the south are also part of the Gage Group Buildings. The Edson Keith and Company Building is connected to the Gage Building and is located at 24 S. Michigan Avenue. The Theodore Ascher and Company Building is also known as the 30 South Michigan Building.

Location

18--30 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
41.88124, -87.63700

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

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Rookery Building
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Nearby Battles

Fort Dearborn Massacre August 15 1812
1812Early Republic
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Gage Group-Ascher, Keith, and Gage Buildings listed on the National Register?

Gage Group-Ascher, Keith, and Gage Buildings was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 14, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Gage Group-Ascher, Keith, and Gage Buildings?

Gage Group-Ascher, Keith, and Gage Buildings is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Gage Group-Ascher, Keith, and Gage Buildings?

The period of significance for Gage Group-Ascher, Keith, and Gage Buildings is recorded as the industrial era.

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