The former Motley School building in West Town would be designated an official City of Chicago landmark under a proposal introduced today to City Council by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Completed in 1884, the four-story brick and limestone building at 739 N. Ada St. exemplifies late 19th century school design ideals with large windows and high ceilings that provided airy and well-lighted classrooms.

Designed by the Board of Education’s in-house architect John J. Flanders with an addition by Norman Smith Patton in 1898, the structure combines historic Chicago school architecture with Renaissance Revival and Italianate style decorative details, including an original pressed metal cornice.

The designation was recommended by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks in July 2016.

The school is named for John Lothrop Motley, an American historian, novelist, and diplomat. Closed in 2013, the building is being converted into 34 market-rate apartments by Svigos Asset Management.

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