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Federal Building

Photo credit: Chicago History Museum
The Federal Building Photo credit: Chicago History Museum
The Federal Building in 1961

A grand palace of government and a monument to civic pride, the Beaux-Arts Federal Building stood on the block bounded by Adams, Jackson, Dearborn, and Clark streets. It housed government offices, including the main post office and the federal courts; Al Capone was sentenced for tax evasion in one of the building’s courtrooms. It was replaced by the Chicago Federal Center across the street.