Rookery Building
Office building in Chicago, Illinois. Built 1888 by Frank Lloyd Wright. Added to the National Register in 1970, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
The Rookery Building is a historic office building at 209 South LaSalle Street in the Loop community area of downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States. Completed by architects Daniel Burnham and John Wellborn Root of Burnham and Root in 1888, it is considered one of their masterpiece buildings, and was once the location of their offices. The building is 181 feet (55 m) in height, twelve stories tall, and is considered the oldest standing high-rise in Chicago. It features exterior load-bearing walls and an interior steel frame. Inside is a light court, which illuminates a two-story atrium lobby with ornamental stairs. The building is designated a Chicago Landmark, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | 209 S. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL |
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | Apr 17, 1970 |
| Listed for | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 70000238 |
| Built | 1888 · more from the 1880s |
| Architect | Frank Lloyd Wright, Burnham and Root |
| Type of place | tower block, office building |
| Style | Chicago School |
| 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 | 209 S. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL |
| Coordinates | 41.8791° N, 87.6322° 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 2 records ↗
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 Rookery Building listed on the National Register?
Apr 17, 1970. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Rookery Building built?
1888, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and Burnham and Root, in the Chicago School style.
Source: Wikidata
Where is Rookery Building?
209 S. LaSalle St., 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 Rookery 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 Rookery Building?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Rookery 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 Rookery 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 70000238. 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.