{"nrhp_refnum":"87001113","name":"Building at 257 East Delaware","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"257 E. Delaware","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chicago","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.89926258500003,"lon":-87.61945723599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-06-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A ten-story masonry luxury apartment building at 257 East Delaware in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, built in 1917 and designed by architect John Nyden.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building exemplifies the Chicago luxury apartment building of the early 20th century, combining Renaissance Revival form with Adamesque terra cotta ornament. It was one of the earliest luxury apartment buildings in Streeterville to use this style, and it shows more facade elaboration and better integrity than comparable buildings there. It also reflects the development of Streeterville, a district built on landfill.","narrative":"Built in 1917 half a block west of Lake Shore Drive, 257 East Delaware is a ten-story fireproof apartment building of brick and terra cotta in Chicago's Streeterville area. Architect John Nyden combined Renaissance Revival massing with delicate Adamesque ornament, including cartouches, urns, broken pediments and a bracketed cornice. The interior includes an elegant lobby with marble floors, a black marble fireplace and brass chandelier. Each floor originally held a single ten-room apartment with servants' quarters, a butler's pantry and mezzanine laundries; since 1979 the floors have been divided into condominiums. The building was among the earliest in Streeterville, an area created from landfill and long disputed in court, and it stood alone there until after World War II. Its listing rests on its architecture: it represents the Chicago luxury apartment type and shows richer facade design and better preserved original features than similar buildings nearby. Only the entry doors have been altered on the exterior.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"John Nyden, Architect","architectural_style":"Second Renaissance Revival and Adamesque","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Occupied as private residences; the nine apartment floors have been divided into condominiums since 1979. The exterior is described as retaining remarkable integrity, with only the entry doors altered and the balusters removed for safety.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:34.916678-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/6/8921/28892106/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/87001113.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001113/65005c337c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001113/65005c337c-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:257_East_Delaware_Chicago.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:257_East_Delaware_Chicago.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"94001029","name":"Lincoln Park","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/illinois/lincoln-park-94001029/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892106","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_at_257_East_Delaware","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48810357"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/building-at-257-east-delaware-87001113/"}