The Central Standard Building

The Central Standard Building stands across LaSalle Street from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, two neoclassical near-twins guarding the main intersection of Chicago's financial district. Interior spaces include a mix of neoclassical and Gothic Revival architecture with Art Deco influences, most notably a massive 88,000-square-foot grand banking hall on the second floor, recently restored as Wintrust's Grand Banking Hall. There is also a Vault Room which contains the original door from what was once the largest safety deposit vault in Chicago. On this site in 1883, the General Time Convention divided the United States into the time zones we know today. The need for time zones emerged from the scheduling demands of America’s rapidly expanding, cross-continental system of railways. The name “Central Standard Building” honors that history.