World's Columbian Exposition World's Columbian Exposition, held
at Chicago, May–Nov., 1893, in commemoration of the 400th
anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.
Authorized (1890) by Congress, it was planned and completed by a
commission headed by Thomas W. Palmer (1830–1913), and the
grounds along the Lake Michigan shore were dedicated Oct. 12,
1892. The exposition, known as the White City, comprised 150
buildings of Romanesque, Greek, and Renaissance architecture
constructed of staff, a material resembling marble. Among the
architects were Charles F. McKim, William R. Mead, and Stanford
White, who designed the Agricultural Building; Richard M. Hunt,
who designed the Administration Building; and Dankmar Adler and
Louis H. Sullivan, who initiated functional architecture with
the Transportation Building. Daniel H. Burnham supervised the
design and construction; Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscaping.
Popularly called the Chicago Fair, the exposition covered 600
acres (243 hectares), at