Pullman National Monument

The Administration Clock Tower Building once stood as the focal point for the massive manufacturing center of Pullman. Rising from a landscaped park, the ornate building overlooked Lake Vista, a manmade water feature that functioned as a cooling reservoir for the factory’s Corliss steam engine. The building’s main facade faced the Illinois Central railroad tracks, and thus was one of the first sights a visitor would see upon arrival by train. After standing for 117 years as a Pullman landmark, an arsonist’s fire seriously damaged the building in 1998, necessitating a multi-year reconstruction. In 2015, President Barack Obama named Pullman a National Monument—Chicago’s first—bringing the site into the purview of the National Park Service. Working with community stakeholders, NPS recently completed an extensive renovation of the Administration Clock Tower Building, which now serves as a visitor center for the historic community.

Solon S. Beman