Clock Tower and Administration Building
When Pullman’s Palace Car Company was built in 1880, it was considered one of the most beautiful industrial landscapes in America. A reflecting pool near the entrance of the building, known as Lake Vista, collected condensation from the great Corliss Engine that powered the machinery in Pullman.
The State of Illinois purchased the Clock Tower and Administration Building in 1991 to create the Illinois Pullman State Historic Site. The 12.66-acre site is at the northeast corner of 111th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, directly north of Hotel Florence.
On December 1, 1998, the Clock Tower and Administration Building was seriously damaged by arson. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency undertook a $3.4 million post-fire stabilization, and the tower and clock were rebuilt and installed in late 2005. When President Barack Obama designated Pullman National Monument in 2015, the Clock Tower and Administrative Building came under the stewardship of the National Park System. With additional investment by the National Park Service and National Park Foundation, the new Pullman National Historical Park Visitor Center will open at the Clock Tower and Administration Building in September 2021.
