07 Sep restored montgomery ward administration building tower “century of progress” statue returns to its perch
before and after:
recent images of montgomery ward building tower (1929), located at 619 west chicago avenue, chicago, il.
“spirit of progress” was briefly grounded for repair and restoration, led by andrzej dajnowski of conservation of sculpture and objects studio inc., park forest, il.
the 12-story reinforced concrete montgomery ward administration building tower with gilded copper statue known as “the spirit of progress,” was designed by engineer william h. mccaully (who also served as construction chief for the mail order firm) and built by the wells brothers construction company in 1929.
images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bldg. 51 archive. all rights reserved. 2025.
as of 9-12-2025, additional scaffolding has been erected around the statue.
