McCarthy Building
- Architect
- John M. Van Osdel
- Year
- 1872
- City
- Chicago, IL
The McCarthy Building was a five-story structure at the northeast corner of Dearborn and Washington in the Loop, designed by John M. Van Osdel and built in 1872 on land the McCarthy family had owned since 1847. It stood until 1989, when it was demolished to clear Block 37 for a redevelopment pushed by Mayor Richard M. Daley.
the building
A fireplace in every room. The five-story building had a fireplace in every room and no elevator, and the McCarthy family owned it free of any mortgage throughout their tenure. It replaced an earlier McCarthy family home on the site that burned in the Chicago Fire of 1871.
the architect
John M. Van Osdel is regarded as Chicago's first professional architect. The McCarthy Building was among his post-fire commissions in the rebuilt downtown.
significance
The building held Chicago Landmark status, but the City Council revoked it in 1987 to allow demolition, and the McCarthy Building came down in 1989 as part of the Block 37 clearance.
nearby
- Reliance Building
- Daley Center
- Delaware Building
- Chicago Temple Building
- Nederlander Theatre
- One North State