Construction began in 1904 of this very unique warehouse that resided in Chicago, IL.  Built by the Marshal Field & Company to house merchandise for the well known store on the Loop that is now occupied by a Macy’s.  The two buildings were connected by a relatively unknown and forgotten underground narrow gauge freight subway that connected many business on the Loop.  The strategic location of the building allowed for access from barges in the river and by railroad on the opposing side.

It was designed by one of Americas greatest architects, Daniel Hudson Burnham.  Famous for designing such structures as the Reliance Building in Chicago, the Flatiron (Fuller Building) in New York City and Union Station in Washington D.C..  The Marshal Field River Warehouse, while not being as iconic as some of Burnham’s works was still considered significant.  It was designed in the practice of the Chicago School of Architecture, and was one of the first noncommercial buildings to do so.  Three other later structures in Chicago used it as a model, one of which use to house the corporate headquarters of the Chicago Northwestern Railroad.

Unfortunately in 1990 the United States Postal Service razed the building to make way for a massive new post office building.

Visit the Library of Congress for many more photos and multiple plans.