Marshall Field and Company Store (Boundary Increase)
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Built in 1929 at the corner of Lake Street and Harlem Avenue in Oak Park, Illinois, this five-story department store was Marshall Field & Company's first permanent suburban branch. Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, successors to the firm that designed the company's State Street flagship, designed it with a steel frame, brick walls and a stone veneer of black granite, Tennessee marble and limestone. A slate-tiled mansard roof, bronze ornamentation and chevron and zigzag motifs give it an Art Deco character. It opened on October 19, 1929, and was the first time a major downtown Chicago retailer built a store in the suburbs. The store anchored Oak Park's Lake Street shopping district, which grew into the main retail center for the western suburbs and provided tax revenue for the village. The exterior remains largely intact, though the interior was altered over the decades, including a 1949 expansion into the neighboring Oak Leaves Building.
Significance in brief: It was the first permanent suburban store opened by a major downtown Chicago retailer, marking a milestone in department store history and the move toward suburban shopping centers. Its presence helped make Oak Park the main shopping center for the western suburbs. It is also a prominent, well-preserved example of Art Deco design by a firm known for department store architecture.
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 100011693, listed April 9, 2025. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1136-1150 Lake Street, Oak Park |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | April 9, 2025 |
| Reference number | 100011693 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1928-29 |
| Architect / builder | Graham, Anderson, Probst and White |
| Architectural style | Art Deco (described in original accounts as a modern adaptation of the French Renaissance) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well maintained and nearly intact on the exterior; a rehabilitation was under way, reconfiguring the interior for office and retail tenants. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
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 100011693.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.