Rothschild, A. M., & Company Store
Also known as: Davis Store; Goldblatt's Store
Why it's listed
Ten stories tall and filling half a city block at 333 South State Street, this Chicago department store was completed in 1912 for A.M. Rothschild & Company. Holabird & Roche designed it with a steel frame and a skin of buff glazed terra cotta made by the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company. Arched openings mark the two main retail floors, while the upper stories use wide Chicago windows between terra cotta piers. Classical details such as scroll brackets, dentils and Rothschild's "R" medallions reflect Beaux-Arts influence. Marshall Field & Company bought the store in 1923 and ran it as the Davis Store, and Goldblatt Brothers took it over in 1936, operating it until 1981. The nomination values it as a very intact work by Holabird & Roche, their only full-block department store, and as an example of the shift from pure Chicago School design toward historical ornament. It also records State Street's role as Chicago's retail center. The building is now vacant and city-owned.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a remarkably intact example of Chicago School commercial design combined with Beaux-Arts ornament from the era of Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago. It is the only full-block department store designed by Holabird & Roche. It also illustrates the history of State Street retailing and changes in Chicago retail across the twentieth century.
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 89002025, listed November 27, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 333 S. State St., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | November 27, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89002025 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1912 |
| Architect / builder | Holabird, William, and Roche, Martin (Holabird & Roche) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements/Chicago; Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Beaux-Arts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in an excellent state of preservation, virtually intact, but presently vacant and owned by the City of Chicago, which bought it for library use and intends to sell it for re-use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Loop Retail Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.87743, -87.62563 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 89002025.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q48848390
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.