City of Chicago to designate legendary East Lake Shore Drive as Honorary Benjamin Marshall Way

The City of Chicago and the Benjamin Marshall Society a 501(c)(3) non-profit will commemorate architect Benjamin H. Marshall (1874-1944) in the historic naming of East Lake Shore Drive as Honorary Benjamin Marshall Way to be presided over by Alderman Brian Hopkins on Wednesday October 23rd starting at 5:30 pm at the corner of East Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the architect. A landmark year for Marshall and for the Benjamin Marshall Society this historic naming ceremony secures Marshall's place as one of the city's great architectural and cultural visionaries whose East Lake Shore Drive launched the development of the Gold Coast neighborhood. The public is enthusiastically invited to attend. 

The architect of the historic Blackstone Hotel the South Shore Cultural Center the Edgewater Beach Hotel (non-extant) and Apartments Marshall was Chicago’s celebrity architect of the Roaring Twenties known as much for his extravagant lifestyle as he was for his elegant classical Beaux Arts designs. With six theaters in Chicago and several across the country his love of theater and theatrics was often reflected in his hotel designs and even in his own Wilmette mansion which boasted a stage and a fantastical array of themed rooms a swimming pool in the midst of a giant tropical garden and it was there that he entertained society elite Hollywood celebrities and high-powered politicos. He even had the visit of the Prince of Wales future King of England and of President Hoover. Marshall was a transformative figure in the architectural history of modern Chicago skillfully blending traditional details with contemporary functionality in his innovative designs.  

His architectural legacy spans many classical genres showcasing the Italian Renaissance grandeur of the Drake Hotel the delightful pink fantasy of the Spanish Colonial Revival Edgewater Beach Apartments the neo-classical Parisian splendor of the residential high-rise at 1550 North State Parkway the Second Empire panache of the Blackstone Hotel on South Michigan Avenue and the Mediterranean Revival elegance of the South Shore Cultural Center. From the north end of Lake Shore Drive to South Michigan Avenue his work embodies a diverse range of styles each a testament to his versatility and artistic vision. His dedication to urban planning paralleled Burnham’s vision for lakefront conservation fundamentally shaping new urban Chicago. While his portfolio extended from grand hotels and residences to theaters from New York to Los Angeles his focus was on the city of Chicago.   

Remarkably Marshall became a full-fledged partner at the architectural firm Marble & Wilson at the young age of 19 showcasing his extraordinary self-taught talent. Marshall founded his own firm Marshall and Fox in 1905 after hiring MIT engineering graduate Charles E. Fox. Marshall was the visionary behind numerous iconic projects including the prestigious East Lake Shore Drive the extant Edgewater Beach Hotel and the still existing Edgewater Beach Apartments at the north end of Lake Shore Drive the Blackstone Hotel and the historic Drake Hotel.   

Known for his "Great Gatsby" lifestyle Marshall's social circle was filled with celebrities. He hosted lavish parties at his Wilmette studio/home overlooking Lake Michigan with guests including Rudolph Valentino the Ziegfeld Follies Ethel Barrymore Houdini Fred and Adele Astaire and Charlie Chaplin. For more information about Benjamin Marshall’s architectural legacy and The Benjamin Marshall Society visit www.benjaminmarshallsociety.com.   

Host or Publisher Will Meyers