National Register of Historic Places

United States Post Office-Chicago

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
August 15, 2001
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
01000868

About this property

The Old Chicago Main Post Office is a nine-story-tall office building in downtown Chicago, Illinois, U.S. The building was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and built in 1921. The structure of the building was expanded greatly in 1932 to serve Chicago's great volume of postal business, increased significantly by the mail-order businesses of Montgomery Ward (the largest retailer in the United States) and of Sears (its competitor). The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1997, the post office moved to a modern processing center nearby and the building was sold by the U.S. Postal Service for redevelopment in 2009. After an extensive restoration project, the Old Post Office became home to many corporate offices including Ferrara Candy Company, PepsiCo, Cisco Systems, Uber, CBOE, Home Chef, Vizient, Inc., and more.

Location

433 W. Van Buren St.
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
41.87610, -87.63876

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNICATIONSPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTTRANSPORTATIONCOMMERCE
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about United States Post Office-Chicago

This page lists United States Post Office-Chicago. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your United States Post Office-Chicago report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

United States Custom House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Lou Mitchell's Restaurant
Industrial
0.2 mi
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church
Industrial
0.4 mi
Gage Group-Ascher, Keith, and Gage Buildings
Industrial
0.4 mi
South Loop Printing House District
Listed
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Fort Dearborn Massacre August 15 1812
1812Early Republic
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was United States Post Office-Chicago listed on the National Register?

United States Post Office-Chicago was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 15, 2001.

What type of historic resource is United States Post Office-Chicago?

United States Post Office-Chicago is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for United States Post Office-Chicago?

The period of significance for United States Post Office-Chicago is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near United States Post Office-Chicago?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near United States Post Office-Chicago will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Cook County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Cook County.

Explore CookCounty ›

More historic places in Illinois

Browse all historic places in Illinois.

View Illinoishistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Illinois history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Illinoishistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near United States Post Office-Chicago will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report