National Historic Landmark

Wainwright Building

St. Louis (Independent City), St. Louis County, Missouri
Listed
May 22, 1968
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
68000054

About this property

The Wainwright Building (also known as the Wainwright State Office Building) is a 10-story, 41 m (135 ft) terra cotta office building at 709 Chestnut Street in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. The Wainwright Building is considered to be one of the first aesthetically fully expressed early skyscrapers. It was designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan and built between 1890 and 1891. It was named for local brewer, building contractor, and financier Ellis Wainwright. The building, listed as a landmark both locally and nationally, is described as "a highly influential prototype of the modern office building" by the National Register of Historic Places. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright called the Wainwright Building "the very first human expression of a tall steel office-building as Architecture." In May 2013 it was listed by an episode of the PBS series 10 That Changed America as one of "10 Buildings That Changed America" because it was "the first skyscraper that truly looked the part" with Sullivan being dubbed the "Father of Skyscrapers".

Location

709 Chestnut St.
St. Louis (Independent City), St. Louis County, Missouri
38.62687, -90.19211

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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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Nearby Historic Sites

Lincoln Trust Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
General American Life Insurance Company National Headquarters
Industrial
0.1 mi
Union Trust Company Building
Civil War
0.1 mi
Chemical Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Maryland Hotel
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Action at St. Louis (Spanish Fort San Carlos)
1780Revolutionary War
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Wainwright Building listed on the National Register?

Wainwright Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 1968.

What type of historic resource is Wainwright Building?

Wainwright Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Wainwright Building a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Wainwright Building has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Wainwright Building?

The period of significance for Wainwright Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Wainwright Building?

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