Building at 900 West Lake Street
Why it's listed
Rising six stories at the northwest corner of Lake and Peoria streets on Chicago's Near West Side, this brick loft building dates to 1886. Its south and east faces are dark red pressed brick with projecting piers, corbelled spandrels and a heavy stepped cornice, while the ground floor retains cast iron storefronts with acanthus-leaf detail. The north and west walls are plain common brick. Inside, an 18-inch masonry wall divides the building, and the two halves use different timber framing, with turned or rough-cut wood columns supporting beams. The first floor of the east section has a coffered wood ceiling and cast iron columns. Built for owners Daniel Davis and Thomas Rankin, the building housed the Creamery Package Manufacturing Company until 1915, followed by other tenants and then the Zimmerman Brush Company. It is valued as a surviving example of Chicago loft and mill construction and of the commercial growth that spread west from the Loop.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a notable example of Chicago loft/mill construction, combining heavy timber framing with load-bearing masonry walls and decorative cast iron and corbelled brick facades. It also reflects the westward spread of commercial and manufacturing buildings from the Loop after the 1871 fire, and its long use by manufacturers such as the Creamery Package Manufacturing Company.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99000163, listed February 12, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 900 W. Lake St., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | February 12, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000163 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style; Other: Loft mill construction |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Boarded-over storefront windows and some altered openings are noted. The text says the Zimmerman Brush Company fully occupied the building until recently. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | West Loop-LaSalle Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.88585, -87.65006 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99000163.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q60768962
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.