Insurance Company of North America Building (Philadelphia) facts for kids
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Insurance Company of North America Building
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 Location in Philadelphia
Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1600 Arch St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| Built | 1925 |
| Architect | Stone & Webster, Inc.; Stewardson & Page |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002449 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 2, 1978 |
| Designated NHL | June 2, 1978 |
The Insurance Company of North America Building is an old and important building in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was built in 1925. For many years, it was the main office for the Insurance Company of North America (INA). This company was the very first and oldest insurance company in the United States that was owned by many people (a joint-stock company).
Because of its history, the building was named a National Historic Landmark in 1978. The INA company used the building until 1991. Today, this historic building has been turned into apartments called condominiums.
Contents
About the Building and Its History
The old Insurance Company of North America Building is located on the west side of JFK Plaza in Philadelphia. It's also very close to Suburban Station. This area is known as Penn Center.
Building Design and Size
The building is a tall, sixteen-story structure. It has a strong steel frame inside. The outside is covered with brick and stone. It takes up a whole city block! This block is bordered by Arch, Cuthbert, 16th, and 17th Streets.
The bottom part of the building is made of granite and is about 65-foot (20 m) tall. Above this, there are ten more stories made of brick. The very top has a special four-story crown. The building was designed by architects Stewardson & Page. It was built by a company called Stone & Webster, Inc..
The Insurance Company of North America (INA)
This building was made to be the main office for the Insurance Company of North America (INA). At that time, INA was one of the biggest property insurance companies in the United States.
The company started way back in 1794. It was the first joint-stock company in the country to sell insurance. A joint-stock company means many people own small parts of the company.
INA's Innovations in Insurance
INA is famous for many new ideas over its long history. For example, they created a way to grade risks for ships and cargo. This helped make marine insurance more fair. They also started homeowner's insurance policies. These policies covered many different risks for homes in one plan. INA also helped create the idea of insurance agents. These agents help people buy insurance.
The building became a National Historic Landmark in 1978. This was to honor the important history of the Insurance Company of North America.
Images for kids
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The 16th Street entrance of the Insurance Company of North America Building.
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Another view of the building.
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A historical marker about the Insurance Company of North America.
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