Tribune Tower has twin buildings in Rockford and Elgin, Illinois

Both the Rockford News Tower and Elgin Tower appear to have been built recently, however it’s amazing that they were both built just a few years after the Tribune Tower.

Tribune Tower: 1922; News Tower: 1930; Elgin Tower: 1929

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Rockford’s News Tower

News Tower
(photo under creative commons
license from rocketjim54)
Tribune Tower
photo by me

It’s rather striking the similiarties between the News Tower in Rockford, Illinois and the Tribune Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

“The structure was built in 1930 along the Rock River in the art deco style of its time by its first female publisher, Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms. Simms was a member of the McCormick family who founded the Chicago Tribune. She had the News Tower designed to look like the Tribune Tower in Chicago.” from gannett.com

I’ve been working in the Tribune Tower for over six years. I’d love to inside the News Tower and see if there are any similiarities. News Tower is now on my 43places list.

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Elgin Tower

Elgin Tower
(photo under creative commons
license from sethgaines)
Tribune Tower
photo by me

Then there’s another sibling to the Tribune Tower –the Elgin Tower in Elgin, Illinois.

Completed in 1929 by the St. Louis Bank Building & Equipment Company, this 15 story 186 foot Art Deco building was designed to house Home National Bank & Home Trust and Savings Bank. Gray granite and Bedford Indiana limestone are used on the exterior surfaces.

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unlikelymoose
16 years ago

Both the News Tower and Tribune Tower are next to a river!

Leigh Hanlon
16 years ago

It’s too bad nobody built the Gropius entry in the contest.

unlikelymoose
16 years ago

ah, good ol’ walter gropius. he was a fine architect.

Leigh Hanlon
16 years ago

Yeah, but Frank Lloyd Wright’s parties probably put the grope in Gropius. Spicy book.

Astrolabe
16 years ago

i like the gothic/art deco look of the tribune. the walter gropius entry is a bit too, i dont know, looks like an apartmetn block http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Cities/imgb/imgb3/164d.jpg

Leigh Hanlon
16 years ago

At least McCormick didn’t pick the ionian column or the Indian head. One can only imagine the contemprary PC outcry had the latter been built.

Tom Saaristo
16 years ago

That Aussie Tower is WACKY! They should just slap “Chicago Tribune” on it! Or fly the Tribune flag! Does the Tribune have a flag? It wouldn’t surprise me.

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