Chapin Gore Building
The Chapin and Gore Building was built in 1904 for a distiller and distributor of liquor. The building is now the Education and Administration Center for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra when between 1995 and 1997 the CSO renovated and expanded their performance space in Orchestra Hall which is right around the corner. 1904 must have been a busy year on that block: Orchestra Hall was also built in 1904 as was the Railway Exchange Building. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays a substantial role in this building's current state. (Here's the façade elevation from HABS.) Stories behind the Chapin and Gore firm are colorful; many can be found on the web. Apparently Messrs. Chapin and Gore started out before the 1871 fire as grocers, but evolved as first distillers of whiskeys and then integrating retailing with the manufacturing, sales and distribution of whiskies and other alcoholic beverages. The building's façade suggests the diversity of the activities of the Chapin and Gore...