The Palmer House Hilton


  • Travel Genus: Sight
  • Sight Category: Building

The Palmer House Hilton is a grand hotel in the center of Chicago, Illinois. On the fourth floor of the hotel there are two large ballrooms designed by architect John Wellborn Root Jr that retain original lighting fixtures. Root wrote that the Grand Ballroom "displays the restrained and monumental character of the period of Louis XVI," while the Red Lacquer Room "hints at rococo, its walls are red lacquer and gold relieved by mirrors." M J Straus, a reporter for the Chicago Evening Post, wrote that the hotel's ballrooms had floors supported by thousands of coiled steel springs to give an extra bounce to dancers. (The original grandly-scaled and domed foyer for the Grand Ballroom has been remodeled and converted into the separate State Ballroom.) Another notable public space is the former C D Peacock jewelers at the southeast corner of State and Monroe Streets. The exterior of the store has low-relief Classical-style bronze ornament atop black marble storefront surrounds. A bronze clock detailed with peacocks ornaments the storefront corner next to the Peacock store entrance on State, which has finely-cast bronze doors also detailed with peacocks. A secondary entrance on Monroe has similar doors. Inside, the store retains walls richly appointed with green Verde Antico marble, bronze-colored metal work, and an elaborate coffered ceiling. - AsNotedIn


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Timeline

Y/M/D Person Association Description Composition Food Event
Y/M/D Person Association Description Composition Food Event
1870/09/00 John Mills Van Osdel Architect Potter Palmer first Palmer House, built at State and Quincy (lost), opens with 225 rooms.
1871/09/26 Potter Palmer Owner Built as a wedding present from Potter Palmer to his bride Bertha Honore, the first Palmer House at the more prominent intersection, and current site, of State and Monroe opens.
1871/10/09 Potter Palmer Owner The Great Chicago Fire burns down both Palmer Hotels. Palmer will immediately set to work rebuilding with a $1.7 million loan, believed to be the largest individual loan secured at that time. Great Chicago Fire
1873/00/00 In 1873, Col W S Wooden decorates the floor of his barbershop with American dollars.
1873/11/08 John Mills Van Osdel Architect Decorated with Louis Comfort Tiffany chandeliers and a ceiling fresco by French painter Louis Pierre Rigal, the second Palmer House opens on the site. Built mainly of iron and brick, the lodging is advertised as, "The World's Only Fire Proof Hotel."
1876/00/00 After the US federal government passes a law prohibited such use of the coinage, the American dollars are pried out and are replaced with Mexican dollars.
1889/00/00 Rudyard Kipling Visitor "They told me to go to the Palmer House, which is overmuch gilded and mirrored, and there I found a huge hall of tessellated marble crammed with people talking about money, and spitting about everywhere." Rudyard Kipling
1900/07/08 Lyman Frank Baum Author Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is featured during a book fair at the Palmer House in Chicago, July 5 to 20. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (book)
1923/00/00 John Wellborn Root Jr Architect Construction begins on the current Palmer House for P Palmer's sons, Honore and Potter Jr. John Root, of Holabird and Roche, designs a brick-and-limestone-clad, steel-frame hotel with grandly scaled interiors in the tradition of the earlier Palmer House.
1925/06/08 At the foundation ceremony, Potter Palmer Jr includes a silver dollar from the floor of the former barbershop, then worn to a thickness of a dime, in the cornerstone cavity.
1925/12/00 Richard Neutra Associate Architect Built for $20 million, the current Palmer House opens. The 25-story building is clad on the lower six floors by gray Bedford limestone and on upper stories by red brick. C D Peacock jewelers black marble-and-bronze storefront has survived almost intact.
1933/00/00 The Palmer House original Empire Dining Room is converted into a nightclub venue and supper club. It will host entertainers including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte, Louis Armstrong and Liberace.
1945/12/00 Conrad Hilton buys the Palmer House for $20 million from the Palmer Estate.
2009/00/00 Loebl Schlossman and Hackl Architect At a cost over $170 million, the firms of Loebl Schlossman and Hackl and David Fleener Architects completely renovate and restore the Palmer House between 2007 and 2009.

Data »

Particulars for The Palmer House Hilton:
Area of Significance Architecture
Criteria Architecture-Engineering
Sight Category Building
Area of Design Decorative Arts
Historic Use Hotel
Architectural Style Neoclassical



Creative Works »

WorkTypeAsNotedInCreatorNote
Sister Carrie Book Theodore Dreiser That night Hurstwood remained downtown entirely, going to the Palmer House for a bed after his work was through.

Accommodations »


Lodging
Lodging Attribute Grand Hotel
Lodging Style Hotel

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