schmidt and garden's 1907 montgomery ward's mail complex undergoing facade restoration

montgomery ward's mail order house and administration building (1907) undergoing facade restoration. the mammoth 8-story reinforced concrete building accentuated with sullivanesque terra cotta ornament was completed in 1907 by architectural firm schmidt, garden, and martin. the ornament was designed by hugh garden.

built as a warehouse and administration building by one of the nation's first large mail-order catalog businesses founded in 1872 by a. montgomery ward and george thorne, the mammoth 1907 concrete and terra cotta catalog house curving along the north branch of the chicago river is 600-foot-long with nearly 1.25 million square feet of interior space. this is one of the finest examples of a chicago school-style industrial building and a pioneering example of large-scale reinforced-concrete construction.

noted architectural historian carl condit said: "this building stands by itself as one of the most powerful works of utilitarian architecture that our building art has produced." the building's strongly geometric “sullivanesque” syle terra-cotta ornament is a typical variation on the modern ornament common to several chicago school architects, including louis h. sullivan and frank lloyd wright.

the building is listed as a national historic landmark due to its significance in the history of american retailing and association with a. montgomery ward. a later administration building (1929) and north additions (1917 and 1940) are not part of the chicago landmark designation. the building was built by the architectural firm of schmidt, garden, and martin, with hugh garden designing the exterior ornament.