Building History
1444 S. Michigan Ave. Ford Motor Co. Showroom, the oldest dealership in Motor Row District, was opened in 1905 by Henry Ford. John P. Wilson built the Ford Showroom and leased it to the company for its branch agency. Although Chicagoan John P. Wilson developed the building at 1444-46 S. Michigan, Henry Ford himself and company executive James Couzens actively participated in the planning of the branch building. Designed by architect Christian Eckstorm, the building's appearance and dimensions are typical of the very earliest automobile showrooms.
Large display windows dominated the ground floor exterior with a band of eight windows on the second floor. Their facades usually adhered to the typical storefront-cornice style of commercial buildings of the period, according to cultural historian Chester Liebs. They generally were constructed of glazed brick or, as one critic observed, enameled terra cotta in tints of white or buff. These materials enabled the use of minimal ornament, classical-style details, or--most often--an inscription of the name of the car company.
--Motor Row District Landmark Designation Report (2000). City of Chicago: The Commission on Chicago Landmarks.
Through the years, the building served many different purposes, including as a Chinese food factory and most recently as a site for Leona's Pizzeria food production.