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The Old Colony Building - If These Walls Could Talk...

Do you remember when Lincoln was shot in 1866? Or Houdini was commanding crowds on Wabash in 1888? Or how about Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid robbing banks? While we may have never witnessed this part of history, one building still standing today can boast of being around while all these events occurred. Standing stately and proud at the corner of Dearborn and Van Buren Streets, the 106 year Old Colony Building reminds us of an era gone by.

The beginning of the Old Colony Building goes back to 1884 when the land was purchased by Francis Bartlett for $126,000. While not expensive by today's standards, many people considered him to be foolish to pay that price for a worthless piece of property. When it became apparent that the city was considering restrictions on future building plans, Bartlett began construction on what would be the highest structure at that time. Finished in 1894, the first five floors were rented out to Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad before the building was even finished. The Old Colony went on to gain landmark status in July of 1978 when it was declared an historic building in the Illinois Register of Historic Places.

As one of the first buildings to be built after the Chicago fire, architects Holabird & Roche developed a style of steel frame design that came to be known as the "Chicago School" style, and was considered to be the forerunner of today's modern skyscraper. Typical features of these buildings included not only the steel frame construction but also masonry cladding with terra cotta, distinctive 3-part windows and a minimal use of ornamentation. Such described the Old Colony. But perhaps the most exquisite feature of the building was the use of rounded windows on the corner bays. Known as oriel windows, they were commonly used in hotels during this time. Holabird & Roche incorporated them to provide as much openness as possible to increase the natural light available to office space. These windows are encased in wooden frames and stand 5.5' x 7' and are custom made.

At the time of its completion the Old Colony was the highest building in Chicago, standing at approximately 215 feet. The base of the building is distinguished by display windows. The second floor features large fixed windows with double hung windows on either side. The rest of the floors carry pairs of double hung windows. Encasing these windows on the first three stories and the top story, the building is faced with Bedford limestone. Stories 4 through 6 are surfaced with cream-colored roman brick and, although used sparingly, the ornamental trim is done in white terra cotta.

While being admired for its beauty on the outside, the Old Colony is equally remarkable on the inside. Three steel arches on the west side and three steel arches on the east side of the building hold up each floor. There are no load bearing walls. Wrought iron Phoenix columns constructed of four to eight vertical pieces bolted together form the vertical parts of the framework. Horizontal girders and floor beams are constructed of steel.

Surrounding this steel frame and providing what was to be considered the latest in fire prevention at that time is a cover of pyroblock.

Originally three entrances allowed access to the building. Two of them have since been closed. Upon entering the building one immediately notices the elegance of the original lobby. Crests mounted on each elevator door signify the people who came over on the Mayflower. Italian marble and quarter-sawed oak wood throughout lend an air of richness to an already luxurious surrounding. While marveling at interior corridors of marble and granite it is hard to believe that all the "working parts" of the building are still in their original form.

Water is supplied by an old wooden tank located on the top floor. Because the original piping is still in place they cannot put in a pumping system. The water tank operates on a float system. Located in the same area is the elevator room. The elevators in the building were originally hydraulic and ran on steam. Once the building was upgraded the elevators followed suit. Currently Schindler Elevator handles servicing the four passenger elevators plus the manually operated freight elevator. The Old Colony boasts of owning one of, if not the, oldest elevators in the city. Called a Turn Voll, this elevator presents its own set of challenges. Because of its age, when service is needed it is not easy to find someone to work on it. A look around the elevator room reveals locker "cubbies" where tradespeople employed by the building many years ago would house their personal belongings.

Three low pressure Weil McLean boilers running on 5 lbs of pressure each are located in the basement. Supplying steam to 544 radiators located in the building, two headers on the first and second floor go to the roof and then branch out two ways. Being a gravity type building the steam is "dropped" from 16 downfed risers to the radiators. There each person can control their own heat through the use of Dan Floss valves that were installed. While the old high pressure boiler still exists and is functional, apprentice Tim McHugh said he would not want to be standing there when it was fired up.

The old coal doors are still in place where, in days gone by, coal from the street was delivered to the boilers to produce steam. It was then sold to other buildings on the block. A 20 HP fire pump located here provides protection in the event of an emergency. Chemicals for water treatment are injected manually by the engineering staff. Readings are taken on a daily basis. In this day and age of computers it is hard to believe that none of The Old Colony systems are computerized.

According to Chief Engineer Jim Smalec, each day on the job is a challenge. Because of the age of the building no blueprints are available. When a problem does arise it can be a sometimes difficult situation to determine the best course of action to solve it. Despite this the rich, graceful old age of the building makes the workday interesting.

Walking through current offices located on the second floor, one can see the reminders of a bank doing business here many years ago. A mixture of original marble and a plaster painted process to resemble the original marble graces the office entrance. Intricate woodwork, all original, and high ceilings are illuminated by a chandelier giving a soft, rich glow to the entire room. A bell notifying the Western Union office located down the street that a pick up from the bank was needed still stands in place although no longer used. Perhaps the most interesting piece of equipment in this room is the rounded radiator standing in a corner. This radiator was custom made to fit around a column located in the room. Transom windows placed above doorways still provide for air flow from room to room.

If the elevator is not your first choice of transport between floors, the stairs make a good second. All stair railings are of the original wrought iron. Each landing on the floor houses a urinal that has been left in place. Dating back to the days before women gained the right to vote, the Old Colony was a "man's building." There was no public washroom for women. This was changed as women gained status in the community and washrooms admitting both men and women were built out.

Each floor commands an area of approximately 9,000 square feet. Perhaps the most unique floor in the building is the sixth. Rented out at one time by a book publisher he re-finished and re-used much of the original woodwork in the building. Adding to that is custom-made woodwork to complement the original.

Two fireplaces still stand on the 16th floor. While fully functional they are not in use but lend an air of elegance to the office space there. Walking throughout one will notice wall vaults still in place. These small storage rooms provided fire safety as well as storage for documents and combustibles. This type of fire protection was thought to be state of the art at the time. Most office areas in 1895 had closets installed to house sinks. In some of the unoccupied space these sink closets still exist. A close look at the date of the sink trap will reveal a stamp of 1895, and most surprising is the excellent condition they are still in.

Long before air conditioning was invented The Old Colony used the only cooling process known at the time, the windows. Open windows on both sides of the building provided a cross breeze off of Lake Michigan keeping tenants comfortable in the hot summer months. Metal brackets attached to both sides of the window provided a holding place for a long piece of glass to be inserted and used as a deflective shield for air coming in. As the city began to grow, and the buildings began to get taller this was no longer a feasible solution to cooling problems. Unable to support a cooling tower on the roof, cooling is achieved by 48 air conditioners ranging in size from 3 to 30 ton.

Current owners RN Management Company are involved in the process of many upgrades. While the outside of the building cannot be altered in any way because of the landmark status, the inside is continually being improved. At 85% occupancy, The Old Colony Building has become one of the most sought after office buildings available, partly due to the old-time charm present on each and every floor. With a staff of two, Chief Engineer Jim Smalec and apprentice Tim HcHugh along with help from freight elevator operator Lemorant Hudson find teamwork to be an important part of their workday. Tenant problems are channeled through the management office where work orders are initiated and then carried out. A key system in the building is handled by the engineering department who installs the locks. Mr. Hudson then carries on by distributing keys. Most calls can be handled by Jim and his staff. For speed and convenience to the tenants, larger projects will be put out to bid for outside companies to do the work.

Chief Engineer Jim Smalec has an extensive background in the engineering field. Beginning at the Hyatt Hotel in 1975 Jim has worked his way through the ranks. After six years at the Hyatt he moved on to various other positions before settling at 919 N. Michigan. While there the management company asked him if he would be interested in the job at the Old Colony and he has been here since. He met his wife, Diane at the Hyatt. Diane is also a chief engineer, working at the McCormick Place and was featured in our February issue. His son is also in the engineering field, having just passed his license. They reside in Yorkville. Jim likes to fish, golf, and provoke engineering arguments between his wife and son and watch them figure out the solution.

Apprentice Tim McHugh has just recently joined the ranks of engineers having passed his licensing exam. He has been at the Old Colony for two years. Coming from an engineering family it just seemed natural to follow in his grandfather's and father's footsteps. Tim was recently married and enjoys all kinds of sports. He relates his interests are wide ranging, when he has the time.

Rounding out the staff is freight elevator operator Lemorant Cranston Hudson. Besides working with the engineering department on a daily basis, Lemorant has been given the prestigious honor of being the building Christmas caroler director. During the holidays Lemorant organizes the tenants and leads them in rousing verses of Christmas songs. Lemorant enjoys servicing the tenants. He knows almost each and every one by first name and considers himself to be the building ambassador. Jim calls him the "cruise director." Lemorant is married with children and has been a deacon in his church for 30 years.

A look at any class schedule for any school in the Chicago area will show the abundance of history courses being taught our children. The Old Colony Building can give our children what book learning cannot - a chance to view history in the here and now. Chicago is proud to lay claim to a part of history. Let's hope the Old Colony is around long enough for our children's children to experience the beauty and wonder of an era gone by.

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