Leiter II Building
United States historic place in Chicago, Illinois. Built 1891 by William Le Baron Jenney. Added to the National Register in 1976, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
The Second Leiter Building, also known as the Leiter II Building, the Sears Building, One Congress Center, and Robert Morris Center, is located at the northeast corner of South State Street and East Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, Illinois. The building is not to be confused with the present Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, constructed and owned by the famous nationwide mail-order firm Sears, Roebuck & Company. This landmark of the Chicago school of architecture gained fame for being one of the earliest commercial buildings constructed with a metal skeleton frame remaining in the United States.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | NE corner of S. State and E. Congress Sts., Chicago, IL |
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | Jan 7, 1976 |
| Listed for | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Sears, Roebuck and Company |
| Reference number | 76000695 |
| Built | 1891 · more from the 1890s |
| Architect | William Le Baron Jenney |
| Type of place | multi-story urban building |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark, Chicago Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 building |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | NE corner of S. State and E. Congress Sts., Chicago, IL |
| Coordinates | 41.8764° N, 87.6274° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Chicago | 419 listed places in Chicago → · walking tours → |
| Nearest national park unit | Pullman National Historical Park · 13 miles · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | West Beach Picnic Shelters 28 miles · Chellberg Farm Picnic Shelters 33 miles · Dunbar Group Site 35 miles |
Explore
Drawings & photographs
Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 1 record ↗
Map
Nearby in Cook County
Local history books for Chicago
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Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Illinois
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Leiter II Building listed on the National Register?
Jan 7, 1976. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Leiter II Building built?
1891, designed by William Le Baron Jenney.
Source: Wikidata
Where is Leiter II Building?
NE corner of S. State and E. Congress Sts., Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. The nearest national park unit is Pullman National Historical Park, 13 miles away.
Source: Pullman National Historical Park
Are there historic photographs or drawings of Leiter II Building?
Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.
Source: Library of Congress
Where is the nomination form for Leiter II Building?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Leiter II Building?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is West Beach Picnic Shelters, 28 miles away. Chellberg Farm Picnic Shelters is 33 miles away, and Dunbar Group Site is 35 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Leiter II Building?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 76000695. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.