The original design has been marred by the additions of one extra floor, and 26 feet of additional frontage to the west in 1905.

Named for Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary and explorer who spent the winter of 1674-75 in the area that is now Chicago.

This is a classic example of the Chicago School of Architecture, with an open grid design which expresses the steel frame of the skyscraper.

The hexagonal railing around the lobby atrium is decorated with a mosaic frieze by the Tiffany studio depicting events in the life of Jacques Marquette.

Additional decoration includes bronze heads of native Americans, animals, and early explorers. The revolving door panels feature carvings of panther's heads.

The façade is made of horizontally banded brown terra cotta with wave-like moldings.

In the 1930s the building was the downtown headquarters for over 30 railroad companies.

The lobby connects with the Edison Building to the west, allowing pedestrians to cross indoors from Dearborn to Clark Street.

A renovation in 2003 restored the cornice to the top of the building.

It was a named a National Historic Landmark in 1978.