A vestige of Victorian times, the Stratford Hotel (left) was a typical turn-of-the-Century Chicago hotel.

Located at 310 South Michigan Avenue at Jackson Boulevard, the building features Victorian Italianate architecture with a seven-story central tower above the main entrance and a mansard roof.

Retail space with large windows take up the ground floor level of the structure. On the roof sits a large advertising sign for the hotel. Two fire escapes and small Juliet balconies adorn the outside of the building.

Torn down in 1924, the Stratford was replaced by the Straus Building, designed by renowned architects Graham Anderson Probst & White. The Straus is known today by its "beehive" blue-lighted ornament pediment which is a fixture on Michigan Avenue.

The Lobby (right) of the Stratford Hotel was a large space with mosaic tiled floors and two circular leather settees in the center.

Tiffany style lamps hang from the ceiling with glass globe-style lamps for added lighting.

On the right is the main desk with post boxes, and towards the center appears to be a small gift shop. On the left is the main entrance door.

Two brass bowls hold plants over the setees and three brass spitoons can be seen in the lobby.

A wonderful example of a Mission-style interior can be seen in the Statford's Pine Room restaurant (left).

The chairs and window trim have a matching Mission-style mortise and tenon design. A square paneled ceiling is finished in a high gloss with simple light fixtures arranged in a cross shape to provide overhead lighting.

Railings lead up to two Mission-style "trees" marking the entrance to the restaurant.

This rare view shows the Stratford Cafe (right) located on the hotel's top floor.

The room has tall paladian windows with wrought iron decoration, a beamed ceiling with rows of lights, wall sconce lights, large stone doric columns and Queen-Anne-style tables and chairs.

Two tables in the foreground include a chess set on top.