Reid Murdoch Building

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The Reid Murdoch Building, with its Chicago School-style exterior, three-story clock tower and sizeable brick façade, begets images of early industrial Chicago. Nestled between Lasalle and Clark streets on the Chicago River, the building has remained an identifiable and cherished structure in the River North community.

In 1909, Daniel H. Burnham's Plan of Chicago asked building and business developers to consider the Chicago River front as a primary locale for new businesses, citing aesthetic and commercial potential. Reid, Murdoch & Company was one of the first to heed the call, completing their 340,000+ square foot operation on the north bank of the river in 1914.

George C. Nimmons designed the seven-story construct, mixing the Chicago and Prairie schools of architecture. The edifice was originally used as a warehouse, food processing center and office building for a wholesale grocery company. The riverfront setting was key to early business as ships with deliveries were able to dock and unload directly into the building.

The horrific capsizing of the ocean-liner Eastland in 1915, which killed 812 people, occurred directly across the Chicago River from Reid, Murdoch & Co. The building, which was untenanted due to a company picnic, was used as a makeshift hospital and rescue center as hundreds of injured were treated and deceased were temporarily kept. Rooms in the basement and first floor were quickly allocated to the police department, coroner's staff, states attorney and medical practitioners for the rescue and relief efforts.

On November 15, 1976, the Reid Murdoch Building (or Reid Murdoch Center) was designated a Chicago Landmark. It has also been listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its waterside locale and architecture. The most prominent feature, the clock tower, used to house a water tower that supplied the sprinkler system for the building.

In 1955, the city of Chicago purchased the Reid Murdoch Building to use as a municipal traffic court and to house the State Attorney's Office and several other city departments. It was still used as traffic court until 1998 when Friedman Properties was selected to redevelop the building. Currently, the building has office space available to the public.

Article by Adam Carter