The Loop District in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Old Dearborn Bank Building

Rapp & Rapp, architects; 1928

— Chicago Landmark —

Old Dearborn Bank Building Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 10, 2024

1. Old Dearborn Bank Building Marker

Inscription. This tall, slender skyscraper, with its fantastical terra-cotta ornament depicting both medieval and mythological creatures, is a rare office building designed by renowned theater architects C.W. and G.L. Rapp, who also designed the Chicago and Uptown theaters. The design of the building successfully blends the clearly-expressed structural form of typical Chicago skyscrapers with exotic ornament more typical of movie "palaces" of the 1920s.

Designated on June 4, 2003
Richard M. Daley, Mayor

Erected by Commission on Chicago Landmarks; City of Chicago.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Illinois, Chicago Landmarks Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.

Location. 41° 53.154′ N, 87° 37.565′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in The Loop District. It is at the intersection of Wabash Avenue and Lake Street on Wabash Avenue. The marker is at the corner of the building that as of 2024 houses the Virgin Hotel Chicago. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 203 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago IL 60601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:

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35 East Wacker Drive Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Page Brothers Building (about 500 feet away); Chicago Theater (about 500 feet away); Carbide and Carbon Building (about 500 feet away); Heald Square Monument (about 500 feet away); Chicago Remembers (about 500 feet away); Viet Nam Memorial (about 600 feet away); The Chicago Public Library Cultural Center (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. Although the building was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2003, based on Google Street View it appears that this plaque was not erected at the corner of Lake and Wabash until after its renovation by Virgin Hotels, completed in 2015.

This corner offers a unique view of Chicago's Loop "L" train, whose northeast corner is here at Lake and Wabash.

Regarding Old Dearborn Bank Building. Old Dearborn Bank was named for Fort Dearborn, Chicago's original white settlement which stood about two blocks northeast of here along the Chicago River. Soon after the building's completion, the bank was acquired by Chicago Trust, which went out of business just a few years later in the middle of the Great Depression.

Also see . . .

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 10, 2024

2. Old Dearborn Bank Building Marker

The square marker is the corner of the building, facing Lake Street.

1. Rapp and Rapp, Architects. A history of the Rapp family of architects, responsible for the Old Dearborn Bank Building in downtown Chicago. (Submitted on September 11, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Dearborn, Reborn: A Chicago Bank Building Is Revived as a Stylish Hotel. From the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a look at the renovation of the Old Dearborn Bank Building, completed in 2015, which converted the historic building into a Virgin Hotel.

Excerpt: "The structure housed office space before its purchase by Virgin in 2011, but decades of deferred maintenance had taken their toll. The restoration process, which was aided by historic consultants MacRostie Historic Advisors, included a year-long project to remove the second-floor bank lobby’s false ceiling, which hid a broken and chipped original plaster ceiling that was then returned to its former glory. Other preserved historic elements include a cigar bar that now serves as a reception desk, terrazzo floors on the guest room levels, and a first-floor grand staircase. The 26-story structure’s carved masonry facade also received a thorough cleaning and restoration."

(Submitted on September 11, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 10, 2024

3. Old Dearborn Bank Building Marker

An east-facing view of the marker, looking down Lake Street

Virgin Hotel Chicago image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 10, 2024

4. Virgin Hotel Chicago

The Old Dearborn Bank Building marker is around the corner (to the right, in this photo) from the main entrance to the Virgin Hotel.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 10, 2024

5. Virgin Hotel Chicago

In the background on the left is 35 East Wacker Drive, best known as the Jewelers Building. To the right of the Jewelers Building (across the river) is the Trump International Hotel and Tower.

Old Dearborn Bank Building ornamentation image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, circa 2011

6. Old Dearborn Bank Building ornamentation

Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 11, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 634 times since then and 79 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 11, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.