American Insurance Company Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American Insurance Company Building |
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| General information | |
| Coordinates | 40°44′41″N 74°10′14″W / 40.74459°N 74.17067°W |
| Completed | 1930 |
| Owner | Rutgers University -Newark |
| Height | |
| Roof | 326 ft (99 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 16 |
| Lifts/elevators | 9 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John H. & Wilson C. Ely |
| References | |
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James Street Commons Historic District
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Essex County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| NRHP reference No. | 78001758 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 9, 1978 |
The American Insurance Company Building is one of the oldest and tallest skyscrapers in Newark, New Jersey. It is located at 15 Washington Street, right by Washington Park. This building used to be the main office for the American Insurance Company. Today, it is part of Rutgers University.
This tall, classic-style building is an important part of the James Street Commons Historic District. This historic area also includes Washington Park, Newark Museum, and the Newark Public Library. In November 2015, the building opened again. Now, it has student dorms, spaces for events, and even an apartment for the university's chancellor.
Contents
History of the Building
Newark has been a big center for insurance companies since the early 1800s. Many important insurance companies, like Firemen's Insurance Company and Mutual Benefit Life, had their main offices here. The famous Prudential Insurance headquarters are also in Newark.
American Insurance Company's Home
The American Insurance Company started its business on April 1, 1846. For many years, their offices were in different spots downtown. A brand new main office building was finished in 1930. This building is a sixteen-story tower with a classic design. It stands about 326 feet (99 meters) tall.
Inside, one special part is a "great hall" with very high ceilings (20 feet or 6.1 meters) and huge windows (15 feet or 4.6 meters). The building was designed by a father-and-son team of architects, John H. & Wilson C. Ely. They also designed other famous Newark buildings, like the National Newark Building and Newark City Hall. The American Insurance Company later became the American Insurance Group. In 1963, another company, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, bought it. For a while, the combined company was called Fireman's Fund American Insurance Group.
Rutgers University Takes Over
In 1977, the Fireman's Fund Insurance Company announced they would move their main offices out of downtown Newark. They decided to give their building to Rutgers University.
Law School's New Home
The Rutgers School of Law in Newark needed more space. They moved into this skyscraper, which was close to the main university campus. From 1979 to 1999, the building was home to the SI Newhouse Center for Law and Justice. It was named after Samuel Irving Newhouse, Sr., who went to a law school that later became part of Rutgers. After 1999, the building was empty for some time.
New Life as Student Housing
Rutgers first thought about turning the building into a hotel. However, those plans changed after the events of September 11, 2001. In February 2012, the university announced a new plan. They decided to fix up the empty building to create housing for graduate students. This was a good idea because more students needed places to live, and the building was in a great spot near campus and the Newark Broad Street Station.
The plan was to turn the building into a mixed-use complex. It would have furnished studio apartments and larger units with one to four bedrooms for about 350 students. The project was expected to cost $71 million. It was also hoped to help the downtown area grow even more, bringing in more residents and businesses. The renovations started in 2014 and were finished in 2015. The updated building now includes public performance spaces and a special apartment for the school's chancellor.
See also
In Spanish: American Insurance Company Building para niños
