Ludington Building

Landmark Context

Ludington Building comes into public view at 1104 S Wabash Av in the Chicago landmark record. The designation record holds onto a construction date of 1891 and credits William LeBaron Jenney. It was designated on June 10, 1996. Ludington Building keeps commercial development, architectural branding, and corridor and downtown change grounded in a real building even when the public record is brief.

Ludington Building reveals more once fieldwork compares storefront depth, upper-floor expression, and corner treatment, how the facade addresses pedestrian traffic, and later signage, infill, or reuse. The point is not just to admire the building but to understand how commercial architecture stayed visible even as the economic life around it changed.

Research Starting Points

Ludington 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 is often the best way to move from designation summary to a fuller building history.

Ludington Building can keep observation, source work, and interpretation attached to one building.