Farwell Building

Landmark Context

Farwell Building is fixed in the city's landmark record at 664 N Michigan Ave. The designation record holds onto a construction date of 1927 and credits Philip B. Maher. It was designated on March 10, 2004. Farwell Building becomes more than a passing image once those facts are held together with commercial development, architectural branding, and corridor and downtown change.

Farwell Building becomes easier to read on site when attention turns to storefront depth, upper-floor expression, and corner treatment, how the facade addresses pedestrian traffic, and later signage, infill, or reuse. That kind of fieldwork helps clarify how commercial architecture stayed visible even as the economic life around it changed.

Research Starting Points

Farwell Building can be checked against trade press and city directories, permit files and assessor records, and historic photographs and newspaper coverage when the designation summary runs out. That source trail can connect landmark status to ownership, alteration, and the changing role of the site in its block or corridor.

Farwell Building can hold the first facts in place while the larger history catches up.