Jefferson Standard Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Jefferson Standard Building
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | Elm and Market Sts., Greensboro, North Carolina |
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| Built | 1922 |
| Architect | Hartmann, Charles C. |
| Architectural style | Romanesque, Skyscraper |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001326 |
| Added to NRHP | May 28, 1976 |
The Jefferson Standard Building is a very tall skyscraper in Greensboro, North Carolina. It stands 374 feet (114 meters) high and has 18 floors. It was finished in 1923. This building was the main office for Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Co. (now part of Lincoln Financial Group).
For a few years, it was the tallest building in North Carolina. It was even the tallest building between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia. In 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historic landmark.
Contents
Building History and Design
Who Built the Jefferson Standard Building?
Julian Price, who was the president of Jefferson Standard Life Insurance, wanted a new main office. He asked Charles C. Hartmann, an architect from New York City, to design it. Price paid for the whole building himself. He believed it was important to avoid debt.
What Makes Its Design Special?
The Jefferson Standard Building has a unique U-shape. This design was copied from another building. The U-shape helps more sunlight and fresh air reach the offices inside. The outside of the building is made from terra cotta and granite.
Architectural Styles and Details
The building shows different architectural styles. These include Neo-Gothic, Neo-Classical, and Art Deco. The terra cotta tiles on the outside also have Beaux-Arts and Romanesque features.
Look above the main doorway! You will see a bust of Thomas Jefferson. The company was named after him. On either side of the ground floor windows, there are images of Buffalo nickels. These were put there to remind people about saving money and being smart with their finances. Inside, the hallways used "23 carloads of marble" to make them look grand.
Company Changes Over Time
Over the years, the company that owned the building changed names. In 1930, Jefferson Standard gained control of Pilot Life Insurance Co. Later, in 1967, these two companies joined together. They became Jefferson-Pilot Corporation.
In 2006, Jefferson-Pilot merged with Lincoln Financial Group. The Jefferson Standard Building is still used as a main office for the company's life insurance business. However, the main company headquarters moved to Philadelphia.
The Building in Pop Culture
In October 2009, the building even appeared on a special comic book cover! It was for Acme Comics' G-Man Cape Crisis #2. The cover showed the 1990 addition to the building. G-Man was fighting a character called the Acme Bat. Chris Giarusso drew the cover. It reminded people of an old comic where Superman fought Spider-Man.
The Lincoln Financial Building
A Modern Addition to a Historic Landmark
A 20-story building was added next to the Jefferson Standard Building. This addition opened in 1990. It is officially called the Lincoln Financial Building. It was first known as the Jefferson-Pilot Building.
This building is 384,993 square feet in size. The architectural firm Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart designed it. The Hardin Construction Group built it. The Lincoln Financial Building is the tallest building in Greensboro. It was designed in a Gothic Revival architecture style. This was done to match the older Jefferson Standard Building. It was quite unusual for buildings built at the end of the 20th century to use such an old style.
