The Burnham Plan Was Also the Bennett Plan

This piece from Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin looks at the role of Bennett in drafting the plan, and his long career of project that shaped the city of Chicago. Also discussed are Bennett's frustrations with his lack of credit for some of the city's most notable designs and structures.

"As the architectural historian Joan Draper has documented, Bennett played an essential, albeit low-profile, role in bringing many recommendations of the plan to life. As consulting architect to the Chicago Plan Commission, the group of business and civic leaders charged with carrying out the plan, he and his staff quietly drew up designs that other agencies constructed. A trace of that influence survives on one of the many plaques on Michigan Avenue Bridge, where, if you look closely, you can find the letters, 'E.H. BENNETT, CONSULTING ARCHT.'"