Jewelers' Building
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Why it's listed
Rising five stories above a basement on South Wabash Avenue in Chicago's Loop, this commercial building was designed in 1881 by Adler & Sullivan for Martin Ryerson, an early Chicago businessman and real estate investor. It was one of four buildings the firm designed for him. Soon after completion a stationery company rented it, and it cost $90,260 to build in 1881-82. The walls combine red brick, terra cotta, stone and iron, with a wide central bay between two narrower end bays and cast iron mullions dividing the upper windows. Stylized plant-form ornament, concentrated under the central arch and at the corners, reflects an early phase of Louis Sullivan's decorative work. It is the only surviving commercial building by the firm from the early 1880s and one of five Adler and Sullivan structures still standing in the Loop. Its ground floor has been completely remodeled and its interior altered, but the upper facade retains its polychromatic character and early ornament.
Significance in brief: It is one of five surviving Loop structures by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler and the only remaining commercial building by the firm from the early 1880s. Its facade shows the firm's polychromatic character more clearly than any other building. It also preserves a large quantity of very early Sullivan ornament.
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 74000752, listed August 7, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 15-19 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | August 7, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74000752 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881-82 |
| Architect / builder | Adler & Sullivan |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition but altered; the ground-floor exterior has been completely remodeled and the interior considerably remodeled. Marked as occupied and in commercial use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Loop Retail Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.88142, -87.62589 (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 74000752.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6189527
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.