Hotel St. Benedict Flats is a historic apartment building located at the northeast corner of Chicago Avenue and Wabash Avenue in the Near North Side neighborhood of Chicago , Illinois . Built in 1882 , the building was one of the " French flat " luxury apartments constructed after the Great Chicago Fire ; named for their resemblance to Parisian apartments , these new buildings brought apartment living to Chicago 's upper class . Architect James J. Egan , an Irish Catholic better known for his church designs , designed the Victorian Gothic building . The building 's decorative features , such as its lintels , art glass windows , and use of pressed metal , were common features of contemporary upper-class homes , while its mansard roofs evoked French architecture . Egan named the building for the property 's previous owners , the Order of Saint Benedict ; the " Hotel " portion of the name was added to exploit a legal loophole , as the building never served as a hotel
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Hotel St. Benedict Flats