The Chicago Historical Society was founded in 1856, but its first building and virtually all of its early collections were lost in the Great Chicago Fire. This structure, the Society's third home, was built on the same site as the first two, at the northwest corner of Dearborn and Ontario Streets. After the Chicago Historical Society moved to its current location at Clark Street and North Avenue in 1932, this building went through a series of owners and uses, though the original name remains inscribed in stone over the entrance.

Photographer: Barnes-Crosby
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-19139)