Reid Murdoch Building - Clark Street Bridge - Chicago
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Reid Murdoch Building - Clark Street Bridge - Chicago
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
A water taxi on the Chicago River passes under the Clark Street Bridge near the Reid Murdoch Building.
With its massive brick façade designed in the style of the Chicago and Prairie architecture schools, the Reid Murdoch Building evokes images of Chicago's early industrial years.
The building was constructed in 1914 for Reid, Murdoch & Company, a wholesale grocer. It was used for their offices, food processing center, and grocery warehouse. As one of the first buildings to be built on the waterfront, it was a perfect location for ships to be able to dock and unload right into the building. The building's most dominant feature, the clocktower, was a water tower storing water for the building's sprinkler system.
In 1955, the city of Chicago purchased the building. It housed several city departments, including the municipal traffic court and the State Attorney's Office, until 1998, when it was redeveloped for public office space.
The building played an important part in one of the more tragic events in Chicago history. In 1915 the ocean-liner Eastland capsized in the Chicago River direct across from the Reid Murdoch Building, killing 812 people. The building was unoccupied that day because of a company picnic and was used as a makeshift hospital and rescue center to treat the injured and temporarily house the deceased.
The Reid Murdoch Building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1976.
Copyright 2022 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
July 14th, 2022
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