Description: Judge Florence E. Allen seated in her chambers, ca. 1920-1929. As a young woman, Allen (1884-1966) graduated from Western Reserve University in 1904, and worked as a music critic for the Cleveland Plain Dealer while pursuing a graduate degree in political science and constitutional law at Western Reserve University. She received her master's degree in 1908, and soon moved to New York City to work for the New York League for the Protection of Immigrants while earning a law degree from the New York University School of Law. After receiving her JD, Allen returned to Cleveland, where she gained admittance to the Ohio bar and established her own law practice. She was appointed Assistant Prosecutor of Cuyahoga County in 1919, and was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas the following year. In 1922, Allen won a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court. Not only was she the first woman to serve on Ohio's highest court, but she was also the first woman to serve on the supreme court of any state. Allen continued to serve as a justice of the Ohio Supreme Court until 1934, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed her to the Sixth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals. Once again, Allen established a precedent as the first woman judge in a federal court. She eventually became chief judge of the court, a position she held until her retirement in 1959. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00128
Subjects: Ohio--Politics and government; Ohio Women; Law & legal affairs; Judges; Supreme Court justices; Supreme Court of Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "Columbus Civic Center, Columbus, Ohio." Shown in the photograph, from left to right is; City Hall, the LeVeque-Lincoln Tower and the Ohio State Office Building as seen from across the Scioto River. 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. 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 The Ohio State Office Building, located at 65 South Front Street was eventually renamed the Ohio Departments building, for a time, before becoming the Supreme Court of Ohio. Designed by Henry Hake of Cincinnati, it was completed in 1933 at a cost exceeding $6,500,000. When it was nearing completion, on April 14, 1932, the structure was badly damaged by a gas explosion that killed 11 workmen and injured more than 50. 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. It housed many State departments and on the 11th floor the Ohio State Library, 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. 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. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F04A_012_1
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Municipal buildings--United States; City halls--United States; Allied Architects Association (Columbus, Ohio); Skyscrapers--United States--Pictorial works; Office buildings--Ohio; Theaters--Ohio--Columbus--History; Leveque Tower (Columbu
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing renovation taking place in the Supreme Court courtroom. The caption on the back reads, "Wrecking at State House." On the front is written "Remodling Sept. 1, 1922. Supreme Court Room, Columbus, Ohio." The work was done by the C. W. Bryant Company Building Movers and Riggers. Charles William Bryant Jr. was born in Dayton in 1882, and from his start as a farmhand with a 3rd grade education would go on to become a prominent African American businessman, self-taught engineer, and owner of one of Columbus’ largest construction firms. The C. W. Bryant Rigging & Moving Co. was involved in major projects throughout Columbus, including the construction of a temporary Broad Street bridge following the 1913 flood, the removal of lighting arcs from High Street, and dismantling Hanford Village in 1962 for the construction of I-71. Bryant faced racial discrimination in his personal and professional life, including the refusal of local steelworkers’ unions to admit Bryant’s black employees, which forced Bryant Co. out of steel construction in the 1950s. He nonetheless expanded into other areas, including ownership of Bryco gas stations, a coal and oil company, the Litchford and Macon hotels, and the Ohio Malt Beverage Co.-the first African American distributor in Columbus. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV76_B01_F01_007_01
Subjects: African Americans--Ohio; Bryant, Charles William, Jr. (1882-1964); Construction industry--Ohio; Columbus (Ohio)--History--20th century; Supreme Court of Ohio
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: 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: 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 image of American jurist John McLean (1785-1861) is a photographic reproduction of an engraved portrait. The engraving is based on an oil painting by artist Thomas Sully (1783-1872). The original painting is in the collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. McLean was an attorney, political leader, and associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was born on March 11, 1785, in New Jersey. His parents moved to western Virginia in 1789 and later traveled to Kentucky. By 1797 the family was settled on a farm in Lebanon, Ohio. No free schools existed in Ohio, and McLean's family could not afford to pay his tuition for him at a private institution. A self-educated young man, McLean moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1803 and studied law with the son of former General Arthur St. Clair. He supported himself by working as a copyist in the clerk's office of Hamilton County. In 1807 the State of Ohio admitted him to the bar. Voters in Cincinnati elected McLean to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1812 and again in 1814. Before the end of his second term, the Ohio legislature appointed McLean a justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. He remained on the court until 1822, when President James Monroe appointed him a commissioner of the Federal Land Office. A year later Monroe selected McLean to be Postmaster General. In 1829 President Andrew Jackson appointed McLean to the United States Supreme Court. As a Supreme Court justice, McLean's most famous case was the Dred Scott v. Sanford ruling (1857). He favored granting Dred Scott his freedom, thus disagreeing with the majority of his fellow justices. (Scott, a slave, had filed suit for his freedom because his owner had taken him to a state where slavery was illegal.) In other cases, McLean upheld slave owners' rights to reclaim their "fugitive" property in states that had outlawed slavery. He also ruled that states could not implement laws that made it impossible for the federal government to enforce the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. McLean's prominence as a justice on the Supreme Court led various political parties to consider nominating him as a presidential candidate, but McLean never became a candidate. He remained on the Supreme Court until his death on April 4, 1861. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05834
Subjects: McLean, John, 1785-1861; United States. Supreme Court; Scott, Dred, 1809-1858--Trials, litigation, etc.; Constitutional history--United States; Slavery--United States--Legal status of slaves in free states; Sully, Thomas (1783-1872); Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law
 

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)