National Register of Historic Places

United States Custom House

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
August 3, 2016
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
16000492

About this property

The United States Customs House is a custom house at 610 S. Canal Street in the Near West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, United States, North America. In 1933, the building opened to meet the city's need for a larger custom house, especially with the large Chicago Main Post Office opening nearby. Two architecture firms, the Burnham Brothers and Nimmons, Carr & Wright, designed the Classical Moderne building. The building's design includes vertical columns of windows divided by pilasters, a black granite entrance surround and base, and a parapet with a bas-relief eagle on either side. The building was originally seven stories tall. In 1940, an additional four stories and a new penthouse were added, making the current building eleven stories tall. Note that the spandrel panels of the junction band between the original 7th floor and the new 8th floor are slightly taller than between the other floors, showing the position of the transfer slab. On August 4, 2016 (2016-08-04), the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. United States Custom House, Court House, and Post Office (Chicago, 1880)

Location

610 Canal St.
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
41.87407, -87.63983

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

United States Post Office-Chicago
Industrial
0.2 mi
Lou Mitchell's Restaurant
Industrial
0.2 mi
Hull House
Industrial
0.4 mi
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church
Industrial
0.4 mi
South Loop Printing House District
Listed
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Fort Dearborn Massacre August 15 1812
1812Early Republic
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was United States Custom House listed on the National Register?

United States Custom House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 3, 2016.

What type of historic resource is United States Custom House?

United States Custom House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for United States Custom House?

The period of significance for United States Custom House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near United States Custom House?

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