Macy’s On State Street (formerly Marshall Field’s)

Born into humble beginnings on August 18, 1834, in Conway, Massachusetts, Marshall Field worked at a dry goods store in his teens before his ambition led him to Chicago—a burgeoning city ripe with opportunities in 1856.  

In Chicago, Field worked his way up in the retail industry, partnering with several other retail executives before buying out the business completely in 1881 and rebranding to Marshall Field & Company. Under Field’s leadership, the company revolutionized the retail industry with innovations such as an in-store restaurant (the Walnut Room) and the emphasis on customer service with the motto, “Give the lady what she wants.” 

Field's flagship store on State Street, was constructed between 1902-1906 with sections added in 1907 and 1914. Daniel Burnham designed the two primary sections along State Street in the Beaux Arts style and for a time it was the largest store in the world with 73 acres of floorspace.  

While the exterior is clad in terra cotta, brick, and granite, the interior features several atria, one of which includes a stunning Louis Comfort Tiffany vaulted mosaic half-barrel ceiling. Crafted by a group of 50 artisans over 18 months, the Tiffany ceiling is more than 6,000 square feet and contains 1.6 million pieces of iridescent glass (two pieces per square inch). It is the largest glass mosaic of its kind and was inlayed under Tiffany’s direct supervision. The dome is an example of the artist’s famous glass making method known as the “favrile” process. Favrile is a type of firing which allows glass to be created, in conjunction with materials used, in an unlimited range of color and texture. 

At one time, 4 Tiffany globes were suspended from the Tiffany ceiling. They were removed, put in storage, then pulled out to use in a furniture display where they were subsequently damaged. Two were repaired and now hang in the building, one is still broken, and the 4th is located in Target headquarters. 

On State Street, the clocks are the most identifiable feature of the store’s exterior. They weigh more than 7 tons each with a clockface of 46 inches. The clocks are electric and controlled by a master clock in the 2nd sub-basement of the building. Before the installation of the clocks in 1897, people met in front of Field’s, sometimes leaving notes stuck to the doors or tucked into the corners of windows to communicate when they were late. Marshall Field decided that clocks would inspire people to be more prompt and the phrase “meet me under the clock” became a common Chicago saying.