The microfilm collection of Chicago Building Permits is composed of
records dated from February 21, 1872 through June 30, 1954 and covers
construction done within the city limits of Chicago for which permits were
issued. The work may have been something as simple as the addition of a
porch to a house or as major as completely new construction. The value of
the permits is that in most cases descriptions of existing structures are
given, as well as the costs of the projects, the names of owners and
contractors, and in the later records, the architects involved.
The collection is comprised of two parts: (1) the microfilmed "Ancient
Permit File Cards," which serve as an "index" to the "Permit
Ledgers," and (2) the "Permit Ledgers," which are microfilmed copies of
the building permit ledger books from City Hall.
Note: Permits issued prior to October 8, 1871, were destroyed in
the Chicago Fire of 1871. From October 1871 through February
1872, building permits were published in the Chicago newspapers.
