Marshall and Fox
Encyclopedia
Marshall and Fox was an United States
architectural firm based in Chicago
from 1905 to 1926. The principals, Benjamin H. Marshall and Charles E. Fox, designed a number of significant buildings of many types, in Chicago and other cities, but they were best known for luxury hotels and apartment buildings.
of 1893 near his south side home, the young Marshall decided on a career in architecture. He became an apprentice of the firm of Marble and Wilson from 1893 to 1895. At Marble's death he became a partner in the firm, and then in 1902 established his own practice. One of his earliest commissions was destroyed a month after its completion in an event remembered as one of Chicago's worst disasters, the Iroquois Theater Fire
of 1903.
Marshall's career was only temporarily affected by the disaster, and in 1905 he established the partnership with Fox which would continue until the latter's death in 1926. Marshall continued to operate the firm alone from 1926 until his retirement in the mid-1930s.
. After studying architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, he moved to Chicago in 1891, where he was employed by the noted firm of Holabird & Roche
, working primarily as a specialist in steel construction. The final 21 years of his career from 1905 to 1926 were spent in the partnership with Marshall, in which he acted as construction specialist and project manager.
. The clubhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
One of the firm's most noted works is the 1910 Blackstone Hotel
, also on the National Register, along with the adjacent Blackstone Theater, now the Merle Reskin Theatre
which was acquired by DePaul University
in 1988 as part of their Loop Campus.
Other major buildings from the era include Stewart Apartments , the Drake Hotel
, the Mayslake Peabody Estate
(Oak Brook, Illinois
), the Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building
, and the Lake Shore Trust and Savings Bank Building, all in Chicago, plus the Schaff Building in Philadelphia, and the Edgewater Gulf Hotel and in Biloxi, Mississippi
, a sister project to their Edgewater Beach Hotel
in Chicago.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architectural firm based in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
from 1905 to 1926. The principals, Benjamin H. Marshall and Charles E. Fox, designed a number of significant buildings of many types, in Chicago and other cities, but they were best known for luxury hotels and apartment buildings.
Benjamin Henry Marshall
Benjamin Marshall (1874 – June 19, 1940) was a native of Chicago. His formal education did not extend beyond his years at a private preparatory academy, the Harvard School, in suburban Kenwood. Impressed by the buildings being erected for the World's Columbian ExpositionWorld's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
of 1893 near his south side home, the young Marshall decided on a career in architecture. He became an apprentice of the firm of Marble and Wilson from 1893 to 1895. At Marble's death he became a partner in the firm, and then in 1902 established his own practice. One of his earliest commissions was destroyed a month after its completion in an event remembered as one of Chicago's worst disasters, the Iroquois Theater Fire
Iroquois Theater Fire
The Iroquois Theatre fire occurred on December 30, 1903, in Chicago, Illinois. It is the deadliest theater fire and the deadliest single-building fire in United States history...
of 1903.
Marshall's career was only temporarily affected by the disaster, and in 1905 he established the partnership with Fox which would continue until the latter's death in 1926. Marshall continued to operate the firm alone from 1926 until his retirement in the mid-1930s.
Charles Eli Fox
Charles Fox (July 1, 1870 – October 31, 1926) was born in Reading, PennsylvaniaReading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
. After studying architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, he moved to Chicago in 1891, where he was employed by the noted firm of Holabird & Roche
Holabird & Roche
The architectural firm of Holabird & Root was founded in Chicago in 1880. Over the years, the firm's designs have changed many times — from the Chicago School to Art Deco to Modern Architecture to Sustainable Architecture.-History:...
, working primarily as a specialist in steel construction. The final 21 years of his career from 1905 to 1926 were spent in the partnership with Marshall, in which he acted as construction specialist and project manager.
The firm's works
Beginning in 1906, Marshall and Fox designed a series of buildings for the South Shore Country Club, the last of which was a large Mediterranean revival style clubhouse erected in 1916. This building still stands, and is being converted by the City of Chicago into the South Shore Cultural CenterSouth Shore Cultural Center
The South Shore Cultural Center, in Chicago, Illinois, is a cultural facility located at 71st Street and South Shore Drive, in the city's South Shore neighborhood. It encompasses the grounds of the former South Shore Country Club....
. The clubhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
One of the firm's most noted works is the 1910 Blackstone Hotel
Blackstone Hotel
The Renaissance Blackstone Hotel is located on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Balbo Street in the Michigan Boulevard Historic District in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. This 21-story hotel was built from 1908 to 1910 and designed by Marshall and Fox. On May 29, 1998, the...
, also on the National Register, along with the adjacent Blackstone Theater, now the Merle Reskin Theatre
Merle Reskin Theatre
The Merle Reskin Theatre is a performing arts venue located in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. Originally named the Blackstone Theatre, it was founded in 1910. The Merle Reskin Theatre is now part of DePaul University, although it is still used for events not affiliated with the...
which was acquired by DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
in 1988 as part of their Loop Campus.
Other major buildings from the era include Stewart Apartments , the Drake Hotel
Drake Hotel (Chicago)
The Drake Hotel, 140 East Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois, is a luxury full-service hotel, located downtown on the lake side of Michigan Avenue two blocks north of the John Hancock Center and a block south of Oak Street Beach at the top of the Magnificent Mile.Overlooking Lake Michigan, it was...
, the Mayslake Peabody Estate
Mayslake Peabody Estate
The Mayslake Peabody Estate is an estate constructed by Francis Stuyvesant Peabody during the American Gilded Age. The estate is located in the western Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, Illinois, United States, and is part of the Mayslake Forest Preserve administered by the Forest Preserve District of...
(Oak Brook, Illinois
Oak Brook, Illinois
Oak Brook is a village in DuPage and Cook Counties, in Illinois. The population was 8,702 at the 2000 census. A suburb of Chicago, it is the headquarters of McDonald's and Lions Clubs International.-History:...
), the Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building
Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building
The Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building is a 12-story terra cotta building at 4753 North Broadway Avenue in Uptown, Chicago. The first eight floors of the structure were built in 1924 by Marshall and Fox. Huszagh and Hill added a four-story addition in 1928.The building's original tenant, the...
, and the Lake Shore Trust and Savings Bank Building, all in Chicago, plus the Schaff Building in Philadelphia, and the Edgewater Gulf Hotel and in Biloxi, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, a sister project to their Edgewater Beach Hotel
Edgewater Beach Hotel
The Edgewater Beach Hotel was a hotel in the far-north neighborhood community of Edgewater in Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1916 and owned by John Tobin Connery and James Patrick Connery, it was located between Sheridan Road and Lake Michigan at Berwyn Avenue. The complex had a private beach and...
in Chicago.