The Portuguese Gothic building with four bronze bells

In 1925, the tower of the 11 South LaSalle Street Building received four bronze bells cast by the Meneely Bell Company. These bells chime an original composition called "Samheim", which is Norse for "Tomorrow", every quarter-hour. The largest of these bells weighs 7,201 pounds and is inscribed with the name "Leander" in honor of Leander McCormick.

The current building sits on a site that once held the original Roanoke building, which served as a National Weather Service Weather Forecast official climate site. The current structure was originally built as the sixteen-story Lumber Exchange Building and was later renamed the 11 South LaSalle Street Building. The design features dark terra cotta with Italianate designs and is the city's only example of a building in the style of Portuguese Gothic architecture.

The lobby features a vaulted ceiling and marble walls, contributing to a classical entrance. The Palladian entrance uses contrasting white variegated and black marble. While the building hosted the offices of the law firm Sidley & Austin from 1920 until 1969, it is now leased by small service industry firms and functions as a Residence Inn.

The building is currently undergoing renovation to the lobby, the façade, the elevators, and the exterior lighting. This work was made feasible by its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, which makes the building eligible for federal tax credits and reduced property taxes.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons