Palmer House Hotel - Chicago, IL - Illinois Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Gorgeous historic hotel in downtown Chicago. The hotel has had three different buildings, the current one completed in 1927. The coordinates are taken from the entry but from street level I highly recommend taking the escalators up to the lobby with opulent ceiling fresco and decor.

History from their website:

Our Beginnings

The story of downtown Chicago’s Palmer House Hilton is one of romance and undeniable charm.

Potter Palmer was a Chicago business magnate—well-known for a variety of endeavors, including his significant role in the development of downtown Chicago’s iconic State Street.

Bertha Honoré Palmer, 23 years Potter’s junior, was a wealthy socialite who also had a drive to learn and succeed.

An introduction by Potter’s former business partner, Marshall Field, sparked a romance—and eventual engagement—between Potter and Bertha that led to perhaps one of the most extravagant wedding gifts of all time – Palmer House. It was a grand Chicago Hotel—one destined to take its place among the most luxurious hotels in Chicago and beyond.

However, only 13 days after its grand opening, the Palmer House fell victim to the Great Chicago Fire. But that didn’t deter Potter. Determined to rebuild his hotel, Potter secured a $1.7 million loan–negotiated on his signature alone. On November 8, 1873, the new Palmer House welcomed its first guests, marking the opening of what would become the nation’s longest continually operating hotel.

The Brushstrokes of Bertha

Shortly after befriending Claude Monet in France, Bertha Palmer began decorating the Palmer House with paintings and other pieces inspired by her French heritage. She eventually accumulated the largest collection of impressionist art outside of France. The Palmer House was bedecked with garnet-draped chandeliers, Louis Comfort Tiffany masterpieces, and a breathtaking ceiling fresco by French painter Louis Pierre Rigal. The fresco was described by columnist George Will as “a wonderful protest of romance against the everydayness of life.”

A House of Stars

By the turn of the century, the Palmer House had become Chicago’s liveliest social center, hosting a long list of prominent figures—including those ranging from U.S. presidents to Charles Dickens to Oscar Wilde.

In 1933, the Empire Dining Room of Palmer House was converted into an entertainment epicenter and supper club. It hosted legendary entertainers, including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte, Louis Armstrong, and Liberace.

The Neverending Legend

In recent years the historic Chicago hotel, Palmer House has undergone a $170 million renovation to ensure that it includes all of the conveniences and comforts our 21st century guests expect while also preserving our significant history.

Clearly “the Chicago hotel the world knows best” has positioned itself for the next era in downtown Chicago accommodations–and the next generation of Palmer House Hilton with a hip and historic outlook.

Marker reads:

Palmer House Hotel
Holabird & Roche, architects
1925-27
This massive hotel, once the world's largest, bears the name of Potter Palmer, one of Chicago's most important businessmen. It is designed in the Classical Revival style with French Neoclassical influences. Interior spaces of note include the grandly scaled and elaborate hotel reception lobby, Empire Room, Red Lacquer Room, and Grand Ballroom. At the corner of State and Monroe streets is arguably Chicago's finest-surviving historic retail storefront and interior, originally built for C.D. Peacock jewelers.

Designated on December 13, 2006
Richard M. Daley, Mayor

County: Cook Historical Society: Commission on Chicago Landmarks Dedication Date: 2006 Location: The corner of State and Monroe in downtown Chicago Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:

To log your visit please include the following:

• A picture of the marker. Including yourself in the picture would be nice but not required.
• Tell about your experience, thoughts, knowledge of the site or anything else you feel you want to share about your visit.

Reminder: In Waymarking, it is not bad etiquette to log your own Waymark. Please feel free log a visit for any marker you submit.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.