Submitted by Kristi Wachter on
Wheelock and Thomas
About the Building
The Delaware Building is an Italianate office building. It was built just after the Chicago Fire, when much of the city had to be rebuilt; it's a rare survivor from that era.
It was originally known as the Bryant Block.
The building was renovated in 1888 by Julius H. Huber. He added redesigned the first 2 floors, added the top 2 floors, and added an atrium.
The building reflects the Victorian sensibility of the time: the bays are different widths, and the building uses a wide variety of materials, from the cast iron and glass on the bottom 2 stories to the pressed metal on the 2 top floors.
The building was one of the first in Chicago to use a precast concrete facade.
History
When the building was remodeled in 1888, it became known as the Real Estate Board Building.
Currently, the building is the headquarters for Guaranty National Trust, a title insurance company. It also has a McDonald's on the first floor.
