Uploaded September 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Vermont lawyer Owen Aldis came to Chicago in 1875 to practice real estate. He set up office in the Portland Block owned by Peter and Shepherd Brooks, two Boston developers who had been investing in Chicago's real estate since 1863. By the time construction began on the Marquette Building, Aldis had successfully overseen the construction of the Monadnock Building and The Rookery, and had perfected a formula for creating profitable skyscrapers. This formula is demonstrated fully in the original design of the Marquette Building. Visit architecture.org/buildings to learn more about Chicago’s most iconic buildings and discover how Chicago’s rich architectural legacy was built.
Vermont lawyer Owen Aldis came to Chicago in 1875 to practice real estate. He set up office in the Portland Block owned by Peter and Shepherd Brooks, two Boston developers who had been investing in Chicago's real estate since 1863. By the time construction began on the Marquette Building, Aldis had successfully overseen the construction of the Monadnock Building and The Rookery, and had perfected a formula for creating profitable skyscrapers. This formula is demonstrated fully in the original design of the Marquette Building. Visit architecture.org/buildings to learn more about Chicago’s most iconic buildings and discover how Chicago’s rich architectural legacy was built.
