One LaSalle Street Building
Also known as: One North LaSalle
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Rising forty-nine stories at the northeast corner of Madison and LaSalle streets, One LaSalle Street Building is an Art Deco office tower in the center of Chicago's Loop financial district. Completed in May 1930, six months after the stock market crash, it was the city's tallest building by habitable floors. K.M. Vitzhum & Company designed the steel-framed structure, which is clad in limestone and granite with dark terra cotta spandrels. A five-story base carries a central tower that telescopes upward through setbacks, flanked by wings that make the tower appear to grow from them, a massing encouraged by the 1923 zoning law. Carved panels, a four-story limestone entrance surround and bronze doors provide the exterior ornament. Inside, the lobby is among the city's most lavish Art Deco interiors, with green marble, cast bronze elevator doors, bird-shaped lamps and a patterned marble floor. Despite changes to bank spaces and upper offices, the building keeps a high degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: The building is presented as a prime example of Chicago's Art Deco skyscrapers, with an integrated, setback massing shaped by the city's 1923 zoning law. It was the tallest building in the city by habitable floors when completed. The exterior ornament and the lavish Art Deco lobby survive with a high degree of integrity.
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 99001378, listed November 22, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 N LaSalle St., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | November 22, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001378 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | K.M. Vitzhum & Company |
| Architectural style | Skyscraper; Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in commercial/business use; the exterior and lobby retain a high degree of integrity, though upper-floor offices and the first and second floor bank spaces have been altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.88208, -87.63219 (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 99001378.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2565075
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.