The Homan Square Power House was built in 1905 to provide electricity and heat for the massive Sears, Roebuck & Company world headquarters on Chicago’s West Side.
Largely hidden from sight nestled behind the massive Sears administration building, the Power House has remained an undiscovered classroom on the advancement of energy generation and distribution technology. Despite its incredible beauty and unique characteristics, the Power House has been a missing piece of Chicago history.
It was completed in 1905 as part of the Sears, Roebuck and Company complex. The massive complex was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Nimmons & Fellows. George C. Nimmons was a significant architect in Chicago of large-scale industrial and commercial buildings, including the Reid, Murdoch & Co. Building, which is a Chicago Landmark.
The Power House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building in the Sears, Roebuck and Company Complex (listed 1978); the four-building complex was also designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978. Further, the project is adjacent to the complex’s Administration Building which was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2002 (more historic photos here)
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| Stoking the boilers. |
The Great Engine Room |
Air conditioning chillers
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