Description: This photograph shows an aerial view of the Columbus Civic Center, Columbus, Ohio, ca. 1945. The term "Civic Center" refers to the group of government and public buildings along the Scioto River's east bank. Notable structures include the State Office Building, now the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center (lower right foreground, next to the river); the American Insurance Union Tower (now the LeVeque Tower), the highest building in the photograph; and the Ohio Statehouse, with its distinctive round cupola (center right). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05859
Subjects: Aerial views; Architecture--Ohio; Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Ohio Statehouse (Columbus, Ohio)--Pictorial works; Ohio Judicial Center (Columbus); LeVeque Tower; Scioto River (Ohio)
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows a view of the Columbus City Hall as seen from Marconi Boulevard with the American Insurance Union Citadel (now LeVeque Tower) behind. The City Hall, located 90 West Broad Street, bounded by Gay, Front, and Broad Sts., and Riverside Drive, occupies, with its park, and entire block in the heart of the civic center. The 5-story structure of Indiana limestone, in Greco-Roman style, was designed by the Allied Architects Association of Columbus and cost $1,700,000. Three of the four sections of the building, which surround a court, were completed in 1928, and the fourth was dedicated in 1936. The hall houses various municipal departments and contains a city council chamber that originally sat more than 400 people. At night multi-colored lights played upon a fountain before the Broad Street entrance. The American Insurance Union Citadel, located at 50 West Broad Street at the corner of Front Street, was designed by architect C. Howard Crane in the Art Deco style with touches of a more modern version of the Byzantine. The 47-story tall skyscraper, designed mainly as office space, rises to an elevation of 555.5 feet, and was built to be 6 inches taller than the Washington Monument. Two 18-story wings flank the building; on the east, the 4,000 seat Keith-Albee Theater (now the Palace Theater), and on the west the 600 room Deshler-Wallick Hotel. The steel-frame building, completed in 1927 at a cost of $7,800,000, was the first building in Ohio to be erected on a caisson foundation. It was the fifth tallest building in the world for a time, and the tallest building in the city until 1974. Faced with cream colored, oak bark textured terra-cotta, AIU Citadel, as it was known, bears huge ornamentations of the same material on the tower. Four large eagles, with a wing span of 22 feet stood sentry on the 36th floor, at each of the four corners, but have since been removed. A 26 foot high bearded giant embracing two children could be found on each side at the 40th floor, but were removed by Mr. LeVeque to allow for a view from his office. The spaces left by the departed sculpture serve as the bases for lights used to illuminate the tower. These and other exterior ornamentations were executed by Fritz Albert, of Chicago, from models by Carl H. Keck, New York sculptor, including the helmeted guardians below the dome topped balistraria. Throughout the building’s history praise has been give for the bright and elaborate lighting of its tower. It was known as "the first aerial lighthouse" as signal lights on the four turrets of the tower served as beacons in the night for aviators. Since the 1980s the tower has had the capability of being lit in a variety of colors. It is normally lit in white, but color is added frequently for special occasion. An observation deck was operated through the 1960s where visitors could travel to the top of the tower for a small fee. The deck was closed with the addition of antennas to the top of the tower and the space was converted into a luxury penthouse apartment. The public areas of the interior are made of Belgian and Italian marbles, bronze and mosaics were used extensively throughout. In the marble floor of the lobby is a bronze plaque bearing the horoscope of the building, which shows the position of the planets when the cornerstone of the building was laid, February 13, 1926. The Hall of Mirrors, on the second floor, is an outstanding show place. Its large, gold-tinted mirrors, inlaid with panel work, vaulted ceiling, and other features were copied from the original Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. Due to the Great Depression the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945. LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter for bowling which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and in 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F04A_002_1
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Municipal buildings--United States; City halls--United States; Allied Architects Association (Columbus, Ohio); Theaters--Ohio--Columbus--History; Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Crane, C. Howard (Charles Howard), 1885-1952; National Regi
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "State Office Building and A.I.U. Bldg." In the foreground stands the Ohio State Office Building (now Ohio Judicial Center) with the American Insurance Union Citadel (LeVeque Tower) looming in the background. The Ohio State Office Building, located at 65 South Front Street was eventually renamed the Ohio Departments of State building, for a time, before becoming home to the Supreme Court of Ohio. It was designed by Henry Hake of Cincinnati in the Art Moderne style, a combination of the Modernistic style with Art Deco decoration. Groundbreaking took place on November 19, 1929 and construction began just after the collapse of the stock market, so delays were frequent. The building was completed in 1933 at a cost exceeding $6,500,000. Just before construction was complete, 11 people were killed and 50 injured during a natural gas explosion on April 14, 1932, which damaged the building all the way up to the 5th floor. Repairs cost an additional $750,000. The 14-story building is of Georgia marble, luxuriously decorated with metals, tiling, colored marbles, mosaics and numerous murals. The building initially housed the departments of: Aeronautics, Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Health, Highways, Public Welfare, Public Works, Industrial Relations, Taxation and the Industrial Commission. The Ohio State Library was located on the 11th floor and one of the largest of its kind in the country. The library and several of the hearing rooms, used as assembly halls, are adorned with panel murals of historical character, outstanding among them being works of John F. Holmer and H.H. Wessel of Cincinnati as well as Leroy Daniel MacMorris of and Rudolph Sheffler of New York. The building was used by the Ohio House of Representatives during the renovation of the Statehouse in the 1990's. In 1998, the Ohio General Assembly voted to bear the cost of the building's renovation. Renovation began in 2001 and was completed in January of 2004. The Ohio State Office Building was renamed the Ohio Judicial Center and was officially opened on February 17, 2004, winning several awards due to its superior architecture. The American Insurance Union Citadel, located at 50 West Broad Street at the corner of Front Street, was designed by architect C. Howard Crane in the Art Deco style with touches of a more modern version of the Byzantine. The 47-story tall skyscraper, designed mainly as office space, rises to an elevation of 555.5 feet, and was built to be 6 inches taller than the Washington Monument. Two 18-story wings flank the building; on the east, the 4,000 seat Keith-Albee Theater (now the Palace Theater), and on the west the 600 room Deshler-Wallick Hotel. The steel-frame building, completed in 1927 at a cost of $7,800,000, was the first building in Ohio to be erected on a caisson foundation. It was the fifth tallest building in the world for a time, and the tallest building in the city until 1974. Faced with cream colored, oak bark textured terra-cotta, AIU Citadel, as it was known, bears huge ornamentations of the same material on the tower. Four large eagles, with a wing span of 22 feet stood sentry on the 36th floor, at each of the four corners, but have since been removed. A 26 foot high bearded giant embracing two children could be found on each side at the 40th floor, but were removed by Mr. LeVeque to allow for a view from his office. The spaces left by the departed sculpture serve as the bases for lights used to illuminate the tower. These and other exterior ornamentations were executed by Fritz Albert, of Chicago, from models by Carl H. Keck, New York sculptor, including the helmeted guardians below the dome topped balistraria. Throughout the building’s history praise has been give for the bright and elaborate lighting of its tower. It was known as "the first aerial lighthouse" as signal lights on the four turrets of the tower served as beacons in the night for aviators. Since the 1980s the tower has had the capability of being lit in a variety of colors. It is normally lit in white, but color is added frequently for special occasion. An observation deck was operated through the 1960s where visitors could travel to the top of the tower for a small fee. The deck was closed with the addition of antennas to the top of the tower and the space was converted into a luxury penthouse apartment. The public areas of the interior are made of Belgian and Italian marbles, bronze and mosaics were used extensively throughout. In the marble floor of the lobby is a bronze plaque bearing the horoscope of the building, which shows the position of the planets when the cornerstone of the building was laid, February 13, 1926. The Hall of Mirrors, on the second floor, is an outstanding show place. Its large, gold-tinted mirrors, inlaid with panel work, vaulted ceiling, and other features were copied from the original Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. Due to the Great Depression the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945. LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter for bowling which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and in 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F04A_014_1
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Municipal buildings--United States; Ohio. Supreme Court; MacMorris, Leroy Daniel, 1893-1981; Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Crane, C. Howard (Charles Howard), 1885-1952; National Register of Historic Places
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: View of LeVeque Tower and the Ohio State Office Building from across the Scioto River, Columbus, Ohio, ca. 1962. The river's flood containment walls are visible. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL01727
Subjects: Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Scioto River (Ohio); Cityscapes;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: In the foreground, the Ohio State Office Building (now the Ohio Judicial Center) stands at the edge of the Scioto River with the American Insurance Union Citadel (now LeVeque Tower) looming in the fog in the background. The Ohio State Office Building, located at 65 South Front Street was eventually renamed the Ohio Departments of State building, for a time, before becoming home to the Supreme Court of Ohio. It was designed by Henry Hake of Cincinnati in the Art Moderne style, a combination of the Modernistic style with Art Deco decoration. Groundbreaking took place on November 19, 1929 and construction began just after the collapse of the stock market, so delays were frequent. The building was completed in 1933 at a cost exceeding $6,500,000. Just before construction was complete, 11 people were killed and 50 injured during a natural gas explosion on April 14, 1932, which damaged the building all the way up to the 5th floor. Repairs cost an additional $750,000. The 14-story building is of Georgia marble, luxuriously decorated with metals, tiling, colored marbles, mosaics and numerous murals. The building initially housed the departments of: Aeronautics, Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Health, Highways, Public Welfare, Public Works, Industrial Relations, Taxation and the Industrial Commission. The Ohio State Library was located on the 11th floor and one of the largest of its kind in the country. The library and several of the hearing rooms, used as assembly halls, are adorned with panel murals of historical character, outstanding among them being works of John F. Holmer and H.H. Wessel of Cincinnati as well as Leroy Daniel MacMorris of and Rudolph Sheffler of New York. The building was used by the Ohio House of Representatives during the renovation of the Statehouse in the 1990's. In 1998, the Ohio General Assembly voted to bear the cost of the building's renovation. Renovation began in 2001 and was completed in January of 2004. The Ohio State Office Building was renamed the Ohio Judicial Center and was officially opened on February 17, 2004, winning several awards due to its superior architecture. The American Insurance Union Citadel, located at 50 West Broad Street at the corner of Front Street, was designed by architect C. Howard Crane in the Art Deco style with touches of a more modern version of the Byzantine. The 47-story tall skyscraper, designed mainly as office space, rises to an elevation of 555.5 feet, and was built to be 6 inches taller than the Washington Monument. Two 18-story wings flank the building; on the east, the 4,000 seat Keith-Albee Theater (now the Palace Theater), and on the west the 600 room Deshler-Wallick Hotel. The steel-frame building, completed in 1927 at a cost of $7,800,000, was the first building in Ohio to be erected on a caisson foundation. It was the fifth tallest building in the world for a time, and the tallest building in the city until 1974. Faced with cream colored, oak bark textured terra-cotta, AIU Citadel, as it was known, bears huge ornamentations of the same material on the tower. Four large eagles, with a wing span of 22 feet stood sentry on the 36th floor, at each of the four corners, but have since been removed. A 26 foot high bearded giant embracing two children could be found on each side at the 40th floor, but were removed by Mr. LeVeque to allow for a view from his office. The spaces left by the departed sculpture serve as the bases for lights used to illuminate the tower. These and other exterior ornamentations were executed by Fritz Albert, of Chicago, from models by Carl H. Keck, New York sculptor, including the helmeted guardians below the dome topped balistraria. Throughout the building’s history praise has been give for the bright and elaborate lighting of its tower. It was known as "the first aerial lighthouse" as signal lights on the four turrets of the tower served as beacons in the night for aviators. Since the 1980s the tower has had the capability of being lit in a variety of colors. It is normally lit in white, but color is added frequently for special occasion. An observation deck was operated through the 1960s where visitors could travel to the top of the tower for a small fee. The deck was closed with the addition of antennas to the top of the tower and the space was converted into a luxury penthouse apartment. The public areas of the interior are made of Belgian and Italian marbles, bronze and mosaics were used extensively throughout. In the marble floor of the lobby is a bronze plaque bearing the horoscope of the building, which shows the position of the planets when the cornerstone of the building was laid, February 13, 1926. The Hall of Mirrors, on the second floor, is an outstanding show place. Its large, gold-tinted mirrors, inlaid with panel work, vaulted ceiling, and other features were copied from the original Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. Due to the Great Depression the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945. LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter for bowling which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and in 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F04A_016_1
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Municipal buildings--United States; Ohio. Supreme Court; MacMorris, Leroy Daniel, 1893-1981; Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Crane, C. Howard (Charles Howard), 1885-1952; National Register of Historic Places
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the American Insurance Union Citadel (now LeVeque Tower) and the Ohio State Office Building (now the Ohio Judicial Center), as view from the opposite bank of the Scioto River, underneath the Town Street Bridge. The American Insurance Union Citadel, located at 50 West Broad Street at the corner of Front Street, was designed by architect C. Howard Crane in the Art Deco style with touches of a more modern version of the Byzantine. The 47-story tall skyscraper, designed mainly as office space, rises to an elevation of 555.5 feet, and was built to be 6 inches taller than the Washington Monument. Two 18-story wings flank the building; on the east, the 4,000 seat Keith-Albee Theater (now the Palace Theater), and on the west the 600 room Deshler-Wallick Hotel. The steel-frame building, completed in 1927 at a cost of $7,800,000, was the first building in Ohio to be erected on a caisson foundation. It was the fifth tallest building in the world for a time, and the tallest building in the city until 1974. Due to the Great Depression the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945. LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter for bowling which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and in 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F04A_005_1
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio); Ohio. Supreme Court; MacMorris, Leroy Daniel, 1893-1981; Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Crane, C. Howard (Charles Howard), 1885-1952; National Register of Historic Places
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1930-1939, this photograph shows the American Insurance Union Citadel (now LeVeque Tower) and the Columbus City Hall, as seen from across the Scioto River. The American Insurance Union Citadel, located at 50 West Broad Street at the corner of Front Street, was designed by architect C. Howard Crane in the Art Deco style with touches of a more modern version of the Byzantine. The 47-story tall skyscraper, designed mainly as office space, rises to an elevation of 555.5 feet, and was built to be 6 inches taller than the Washington Monument. Two 18-story wings flank the building; on the east, the 4,000 seat Keith-Albee Theater (now the Palace Theater), and on the west the 600 room Deshler-Wallick Hotel. The steel-frame building, completed in 1927 at a cost of $7,800,000, was the first building in Ohio to be erected on a caisson foundation. It was the fifth tallest building in the world for a time, and the tallest building in the city until 1974. Due to the Great Depression the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945. LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter for bowling which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and in 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager. The City Hall, located 90 West Broad Street, bounded by Gay, Front, and Broad Sts., and Riverside Drive, occupies, with its park, and entire block in the heart of the civic center. The 5-story structure of Indiana limestone, in Greco-Roman style, was designed by the Allied Architects Association of Columbus and cost $1,700,000. Three of the four sections of the building, which surround a court, were completed in 1928, and the fourth was dedicated in 1936. The hall houses various municipal departments and contains a city council chamber that originally sat more than 400 people. At night multi-colored lights played upon a fountain before the Broad Street entrance. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F05_42_001
Subjects: Municipal buildings--United States; MacMorris, Leroy Daniel, 1893-1981; Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Crane, C. Howard (Charles Howard), 1885-1952; Architecture; National Register of Historic Places
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "South entrance, State Office Building with A.I.U. Bldg. in Background." This photograph shows the south side of the Ohio State Office Building (now Ohio Judicial Center), looking towards the American Insurance Union Citadel, seen behind. The Ohio State Office Building, located at 65 South Front Street was eventually renamed the Ohio Departments of State building, for a time, before becoming home to the Supreme Court of Ohio. It was designed by Henry Hake of Cincinnati in the Art Moderne style, a combination of the Modernistic style with Art Deco decoration. Groundbreaking took place on November 19, 1929 and construction began just after the collapse of the stock market, so delays were frequent. The building was completed in 1933 at a cost exceeding $6,500,000. Just before construction was complete, 11 people were killed and 50 injured during a natural gas explosion on April 14, 1932, which damaged the building all the way up to the 5th floor. Repairs cost an additional $750,000. The 14-story building is of Georgia marble, luxuriously decorated with metals, tiling, colored marbles, mosaics and numerous murals. The building initially housed the departments of: Aeronautics, Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Health, Highways, Public Welfare, Public Works, Industrial Relations, Taxation and the Industrial Commission. The Ohio State Library was located on the 11th floor and one of the largest of its kind in the country. The library and several of the hearing rooms, used as assembly halls, are adorned with panel murals of historical character, outstanding among them being works of John F. Holmer and H.H. Wessel of Cincinnati as well as Leroy Daniel MacMorris of and Rudolph Sheffler of New York. The building was used by the Ohio House of Representatives during the renovation of the Statehouse in the 1990's. In 1998, the Ohio General Assembly voted to bear the cost of the building's renovation. Renovation began in 2001 and was completed in January of 2004. The Ohio State Office Building was renamed the Ohio Judicial Center and was officially opened on February 17, 2004, winning several awards due to its superior architecture. The American Insurance Union Citadel, located at 50 West Broad Street at the corner of Front Street, was designed by architect C. Howard Crane in the Art Deco style with touches of a more modern version of the Byzantine. The 47-story tall skyscraper, designed mainly as office space, rises to an elevation of 555.5 feet, and was built to be 6 inches taller than the Washington Monument. Two 18-story wings flank the building; on the east, the 4,000 seat Keith-Albee Theater (now the Palace Theater), and on the west the 600 room Deshler-Wallick Hotel. The steel-frame building, completed in 1927 at a cost of $7,800,000, was the first building in Ohio to be erected on a caisson foundation. It was the fifth tallest building in the world for a time, and the tallest building in the city until 1974. Faced with cream colored, oak bark textured terra-cotta, AIU Citadel, as it was known, bears huge ornamentations of the same material on the tower. Four large eagles, with a wing span of 22 feet stood sentry on the 36th floor, at each of the four corners, but have since been removed. A 26 foot high bearded giant embracing two children could be found on each side at the 40th floor, but were removed by Mr. LeVeque to allow for a view from his office. The spaces left by the departed sculpture serve as the bases for lights used to illuminate the tower. These and other exterior ornamentations were executed by Fritz Albert, of Chicago, from models by Carl H. Keck, New York sculptor, including the helmeted guardians below the dome topped balistraria. Throughout the building’s history praise has been give for the bright and elaborate lighting of its tower. It was known as "the first aerial lighthouse" as signal lights on the four turrets of the tower served as beacons in the night for aviators. Since the 1980s the tower has had the capability of being lit in a variety of colors. It is normally lit in white, but color is added frequently for special occasion. An observation deck was operated through the 1960s where visitors could travel to the top of the tower for a small fee. The deck was closed with the addition of antennas to the top of the tower and the space was converted into a luxury penthouse apartment. The public areas of the interior are made of Belgian and Italian marbles, bronze and mosaics were used extensively throughout. In the marble floor of the lobby is a bronze plaque bearing the horoscope of the building, which shows the position of the planets when the cornerstone of the building was laid, February 13, 1926. The Hall of Mirrors, on the second floor, is an outstanding show place. Its large, gold-tinted mirrors, inlaid with panel work, vaulted ceiling, and other features were copied from the original Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. Due to the Great Depression the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945. LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter for bowling which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and in 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F04A_020_1
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Municipal buildings--United States; Ohio. Supreme Court; MacMorris, Leroy Daniel, 1893-1981; Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Crane, C. Howard (Charles Howard), 1885-1952; National Register of Historic Places
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1930-1939, this photograph was taken from Capitol Square, outside the north end of the Ohio Statehouse, shows the Peace Statue and the American Insurance Union Citadel Building in the background. Ohio State University faculty member Bruce Wilder Saville was commissioned by The Women’s Relief Corps, an auxiliary of the Grand Army of the Republic, to make the statue, which was unveiled in 1923. The inscription on the front reads: “PEACE. Commemorating the heroic sacrifices of Ohio’s Soldiers of the Civil War 1861 – 65 and the loyal women of that period. Erected by the Women’s Relief Corps, Department of Ohio, 1923.” The American Insurance Union Citadel, located at 50 West Broad Street at the corner of Front Street, was designed by architect C. Howard Crane in the Art Deco style, with touches of a more modern version of Byzantine architectural and decorative elements. The 47-story tall skyscraper, designed mainly as office space, rises to an elevation of 555.5 feet, and was built to be 6 inches taller than the Washington Monument. Two 18-story wings flank the building; on the east, the 4,000 seat Keith-Albee Theater (now the Palace Theater), and on the west the 600 room Deshler-Wallick Hotel. The steel-frame building, completed in 1927 at a cost of $7,800,000, was the first building in Ohio to be erected on a caisson foundation. It was the fifth tallest building in the world for a time, and the tallest building in the city until 1974. Due to the Great Depression the American Insurance Union went bankrupt, and sold the building. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945. LeVeque was the designer of an automatic pinsetter for bowling which became known as the Columbus pinsetter. The Lincoln-LeVeque Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and in 1977, the name was officially changed to the LeVeque Tower. The building changed hands to Lennar Properties in 2004, and then again to the new owners Finsilver/Friedman Management, a Michigan based regional developer and property manager. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F04A_021_1
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Municipal buildings--United States; MacMorris, Leroy Daniel, 1893-1981; Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Crane, C. Howard (Charles Howard), 1885-1952; National Register of Historic Places
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows John J. Lentz (1856-1931), founder of American Insurance Union (AIU), during the cornerstone laying of the AIU Citadel building, Columbus, Ohio, on February 23, 1926. Lentz is gesturing as he stands next to the the cornerstone, which reads: "1894 / American Insurance Union / John J. Lentz / Founder and Builder / A.I.U. Citadel / 1926". A few years after building's formal dedication in 1927, AIU was in serious financial straits. The stock market crash and cost overruns incurred during the Citadel's construction led AIU to declare bankruptcy in 1935. Businessmen Leslie LeVeque of Columbus and John Lincoln of Cleveland bought the building, which became known as the Lincoln-Leveque Tower. In 1977 its name was changed officially to the LeVeque Tower. One of the city's most famous architectural landmarks, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Lentz was born in Belmont County, Ohio, and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1883. That same year he was admitted to the bar in Columbus, Ohio. He founded AIU in 1894 and served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Ohio's 12th Congressional District (1897 to 1901). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06935
Subjects: American Insurance Union Citadel; Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Construction industry--Ohio; Construction; Lentz, John Jacob, 1856-1931; Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Design and construction; Cornerstone laying; Architecture
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows John J. Lentz (1856-1931), founder of American Insurance Union (AIU), delivering a speech during the cornerstone laying of the AIU Citadel building, Columbus, Ohio, on February 23, 1926. Lentz is standing on a wood platform next to the cornerstone, whose face is hidden by a U.S. flag. A few years after building's formal dedication in 1927, AIU was in serious financial straits. The stock market crash and cost overruns incurred during the Citadel's construction led AIU to declare bankruptcy in 1935. Businessmen Leslie LeVeque of Columbus and John Lincoln of Cleveland bought the building, which became known as the Lincoln-Leveque Tower. In 1977 its name was changed officially to the LeVeque Tower. One of the city's most famous architectural landmarks, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Lentz was born in Belmont County, Ohio, and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1883. That same year he was admitted to the bar in Columbus, Ohio. He founded AIU in 1894 and served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Ohio's 12th Congressional District (1897 to 1901). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06936
Subjects: American Insurance Union Citadel; Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Construction industry--Ohio; Construction; Lentz, John Jacob, 1856-1931; Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Design and construction; Cornerstone laying; Architecture
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future American Union Insurance (AIU) Citadel building, Columbus, Ohio. The ceremony took place on September 23, 1924. Among the dignitaries present were John J. Lentz (1856-1931), AIU founder and former Congressman, and James J. Thomas, mayor of Columbus. A few years after building's formal dedication in 1927, AIU was in serious financial straits. The stock market crash and cost overruns incurred during the Citadel's construction led AIU to declare bankruptcy in 1935. Businessmen Leslie LeVeque of Columbus and John Lincoln of Cleveland bought the building, which became known as the Lincoln-Leveque Tower. In 1977 its name was changed officially to the LeVeque Tower. One of the city's most famous architectural landmarks, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Lentz was born in Belmont County, Ohio, and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1883. That same year he was admitted to the bar in Columbus, Ohio. He founded AIU in 1894 and served two terms as U.S. Representative from Ohio's 12th Congressional District (1897 to 1901). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06938
Subjects: American Insurance Union Citadel; Leveque Tower (Columbus, Ohio); Construction industry--Ohio; Construction; Lentz, John Jacob, 1856-1931; Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Design and construction; Architecture
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Ohio