Dearborn Street Station

Address: 47 W. Polk St. Year Built: 1885 Architect: Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: March 2, 1982

Construction of this Romanesque Revival-style station symbolized the burgeoning railroad industry in America and Chicago's role as the hub of that industry. As the railroads declined in importance, passenger traffic diminished and operations ceased at this terminal in 1971. After years of neglect, the station began a new life in the mid-1980s as a commercial center, enhancing the surrounding revitalizing community. It is one of the oldest railroad stations in the U.S. and the last remaining of Chicago's early downtown stations. Its designer was a noted New York architect.