History of the Building
​The commercial building located at 1319-49 S. State Street is significant in Chicago's commercial and industrial development. The Arthur Dixon Transfer Company (ADTC) played a central role in this building's history, occupying it from its construction in 1900 until around 1966.
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Arthur Dixon played a significant role in the development of Chicago and its civic life. He arrived in the city in 1861 and initially engaged in the grocery business. Recognizing the need for a large-scale transfer and teaming business, he established the Arthur Dixon Transfer Company, which grew to be the largest such enterprise west of New York City.
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The company, with a capital of $250,000, boasted extensive facilities, including stables for over five hundred horses, and handled much of Chicago's railroad transfer business. These stables were located at the sprawling barn and garages built on the 1300 block of South State Street.
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Designed by architect Charles M. Palmer and constructed in 1900, the building was part of the first period of Chicago School commercial architecture, embodying the industrial advancements and urban expansion of early 20th-century Chicago.
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Charles M. Palmer played a pivotal role in the reconstruction of Chicago following the Great Fire of 1871. He was notably hired by Potter Palmer to oversee the rebuilding of the Palmer House hotel. Palmer's contributions to the design included the iconic marble staircase and innovative infrastructural solutions like steam heating and hot water plumbing, setting new standards in building amenities. Another of his most famous contributions was the design of the Chicago Coliseum.
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The building’s red brick façade with white stone window framings and flat roof typifies the era’s aesthetic, prioritizing utility and modernity over decorative elements. Notably, the integration of state-of-the-art industrial features such as the large capacity stables, industrial elevator, and advanced interior plumbing highlight the building’s role in the industrial expansion of Chicago.
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A significant fire in 1911 destroyed the southern half of the garages (1333 to 1349 S. State), prompting a reconstruction by the architectural firm Holabird and Roche, who rebuilt the damaged sections of what is now the middle building.
Further alterations occurred in 1917 when part of the northern building was demolished, and in 1940, the northernmost garage at 1317 S. State was removed to accommodate subway system expansion on the east side of the building.
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The southernmost building was also designed by Holabird and Roche in 1920. It is a one-story brick addition with interior wood framing and roofed with arch trusses. The façade is brick with a square corbelling around the large carved wooden garage door and the window above it. The windows are caged with wrought iron grills and the central window above the door features two iron lamps on either side. The central window above the door also features 6 stone mullions. The original windows had wooden sashes and brick sills.
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The original brick exteriors of these separate buildings have been preserved within the interior, now connected into a single cohesive structure. The building now houses a large auditorium, classrooms, and meeting spaces, retaining original features such as open brick walls, large wooden beams, and an iron industrial elevator repurposed as closet storage.
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The teamster and transfer business conducted from the ADTC garages were initially done by horse and cart. In 1923, ADTC was still hiring blacksmiths for wagon work in the garages. However, the 1940s and 1950s mark a rapid increase in automotive shipping and expansion of the interstate highway system.
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Unfortunately, the rise in automotive shipping also marked the beginning of decline for rail shipping in the United States. Modern urban planning promoted industrial decentralization while the demand for rail services was simultaneously reduced. In 1966, the ADTC advertised the sale of its beer/beverage delivery trucks and its refrigeration units in the garages.
Since then, the building has been occupied by a variety of commercial and industrial enterprises prior to its purchase and repurposing as a church in 2017.