Designed by New York Architect Cyrus L.W. Widlitz, the Romanesque Revival style structure opened its doors to passengers in the spring of 1885. The three-story building's exterior walls and twelve-story clock tower were composed of pink granite and red pressed brick topped by a number of steeply-pitched roofs.
In 1922 a fire destroyed most of the building and in the rebuilding, the pitched roof's were removed. While this modification detracted from the original beauty of the structure, it is still one of the few surviving rail stations of its size and era.
As the railroads declined in importance and passenger traffic diminished, operations ceased at this terminal and the spring of 1971 after 86 years of service the building was closed. It sat empty and neglected for several years. The station began a new life in the mid-1980s as a retail space.
It is one of the oldest railroad stations in the U.S. and the last remaining of Chicago's early downtown stations. Its designer was a noted New York architect.
Designated a Chicago Landmark: March 2, 1982
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