Waterman Building | |
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General information | |
Location | 127 S. State Street, Chicago, Illinois |
Coordinates | 41°52′48.65″N 87°37′39.11″W / 41.8801806°N 87.6275306°W |
Completed | 1920 |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 7 |
Floor area | 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2)[1] |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Holabird and Roche |
The Waterman Building is a historic building on State Street in Chicago's Loop. Designed by Holabird and Roche, construction began in 1919 was completed in 1920.[2][3] The first floor originally housed the Waterman Pen Company's Chicago store, while Waterman's offices were located on upper floors.[2]
In 1918, the Waterman Pen Company began leasing the property and initially announced plans to renovate the existing building and replace its facade, at an estimated cost of $100,000.[4][5][6] However, Waterman instead built an entirely new building, at a cost of $225,000.[3] Designed by Holabird and Roche, it was the first new building to be built in Chicago's Loop following the start of World War I.[3] The exterior was clad in blue terra cotta and encaustic mosaic panels, while the interior featured black walnut furnishing and fixtures, a vaulted ceiling decorated in silver and gray, and cork tile flooring.[1][7][8] Waterman moved into the building on May 10, 1920.[2][9][1][8]
In 1922, the Chicago Business College began leasing the sixth floor of the building.[10][11] In 1923, the White Star Line began leasing the building's second floor for $10,000 a year.[12] On October 20, 1938, Three Sisters, a woman's apparel shop, opened its fifth Chicago-area store in the Waterman Building.[13][14] On February 21, 1952, Mary Jane Shoes opened its store in the building.[15][16][17]
In the 1960s, the building was home to Stanley Green's, a kosher cafeteria and buffet.[18] The cafeteria was located on the ground floor, while the lower floor featured the dining room and cocktail lounge.[18] From 1967 to 2018, the restaurant Beef and Brandy was located on the ground floor, while its bar, the Bar Below, was located on the lower floor.[19][20] In 2018, the building was sold and Sonder Corp. intended to renovate it and open a 41 room hotel in the top four stories, with retail on the first two floors.[21][19][22][23] However, this plan did not come to fruition, and the building has been again listed for sale.