Last updated: February 13, 2024
Place
Administration-Clock Tower Building
NPS Photo/Daniel Ples
Quick Facts
Location:
610 E 111th St, Chicago, IL 60628
Significance:
Administrative Building of Pullman Palace Car Company
Designation:
National Historical Park
Amenities
22 listed
Audio Description, Baby Changing Station, Benches/Seating, Bicycle - Rack, Bus/Shuttle Stop, Captioned Media, Cellular Signal, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information - Maps Available, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV, Public Transit, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Restroom - Family, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Tactile Exhibit, Water - Bottle-Filling Station, Wheelchair Accessible, Wheelchairs Available
Built in 1880, the Administration Clock Tower Building formed the central mass of a monumental structure seven hundred feet long. As the manufacturing center of Pullman, the Administration and Factory Complex was an unusually ornate industrial building designed to sit in a park-like setting. The structure overlooked the artificial Lake Vista, which was a cooling reservoir for the Corliss steam engine. The main facade faced the Illinois Central tracks, and thus was one of the first buildings a visitor would see. The Pullman Company stood as both a real and symbolic expression of the great economic power of the railroad industry, it was essential the building display a strong sense of formal ordering.
In 1991, the State of Illinois purchased the Administration Clock Tower Building to comprise the Illinois Pullman State Historic Site. The 12.66-acre site is at the northeast corner of 111th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, directly north of the Hotel Florence.
After standing for 117 years as a Pullman landmark, the Administration Clock Tower Building was seriously damaged by a fire set by an arsonist on December 1, 1998. The tower and clock were rebuilt and installed on site in late 2005. The district was named a National Monument (now National Historical Park) on February 19, 2015, making it a component of the National Park System. Now, as of Labor Day 2021, the building hosts the National Park Service's Visitor Center.
In 1991, the State of Illinois purchased the Administration Clock Tower Building to comprise the Illinois Pullman State Historic Site. The 12.66-acre site is at the northeast corner of 111th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, directly north of the Hotel Florence.
After standing for 117 years as a Pullman landmark, the Administration Clock Tower Building was seriously damaged by a fire set by an arsonist on December 1, 1998. The tower and clock were rebuilt and installed on site in late 2005. The district was named a National Monument (now National Historical Park) on February 19, 2015, making it a component of the National Park System. Now, as of Labor Day 2021, the building hosts the National Park Service's Visitor Center.