Mercantile National Bank Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mercantile National Bank Building |
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Mercantile National Bank Building shortly before opening. The distinctive clock tower and spire were added at a later date.
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| Alternative names | The Merc Mercantile Building |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Residential |
| Architectural style | Moderne |
| Location | 1800 Main Street Dallas, Texas |
| Coordinates | 32°46′51″N 96°47′49″W / 32.780843°N 96.796808°W |
| Completed | 1943 |
| Owner | Brookfield Asset Management |
| Management | Brookfield Asset Management |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 159.4 m (523 ft) |
| Roof | 131.1 m (430 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 31 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Walter W. Ahlschlager Donald Nelson |
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Mercantile National Bank Building
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Part of | Dallas Downtown Historic District (ID04000894) |
| Significant dates | |
| Designated CP | August 11, 2006 |
The Mercantile National Bank Building, often called The Merc, is a very tall building, known as a skyscraper, located in downtown Dallas, Texas. It stands at 1800 Main Street and has 31 floors, reaching about 159.4 meters (523 feet) high.
This building used to be the home of the Mercantile National Bank. Its design shows off a style called Moderne architecture, which was popular during the Art Deco era. The Merc is famous for its unique look, including a special four-sided clock and a decorative spire at the very top. It was once the main part of a group of four buildings that took up a whole city block.
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History of The Merc Building
Before The Merc was built, an old Post Office from 1889 stood on the same spot. This Post Office had a big clock tower and fancy "gingerbread" style decorations. By 1936, local business leaders decided the old building was no longer useful, so it was torn down.
Building During World War II
The Mercantile National Bank Building was finished in 1943. It was special because it was the only major skyscraper built in the United States during World War II. The U.S. government had asked private companies to stop building new things to save materials for the war. However, most of the steel for The Merc was already made. Because of this, the government gave special permission for the building to be completed.
Inside the bank's main lobby, there were large Art Deco wood murals. These were the biggest in the world at that time. Besides the bank, the federal government used 10 floors for offices related to the war. The bank's owner, Robert L. Thornton, even had his own special apartment on one of the top floors.
Changes Over Time
In 1947, a lighted tower was added to The Merc. This tower was used by a radio station, KERA, for its broadcasts. Later, in 1958, this tower was replaced with the current lighted tower and clock that you see today. In the 1960s, the original stone on the outside of the building's lower part was covered up with a more modern wall.
When it was finished, The Merc was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. It was also the tallest building in Dallas until 1954. That's when the Republic Bank Tower I became taller. The Merc has 31 stories. If you include its 115-foot (35-meter) tall clock tower, the building reaches 545 feet (166 meters) high. This makes it the 19th-tallest building in Dallas. It also has a huge amount of space inside, about 359,348 square feet (33,385 square meters).
Expanding the Mercantile Complex
The Merc was the main part of a group of four buildings that eventually covered a whole city block.
- The Mercantile Securities Building was built next to the main tower in 1949. It had 14 stories.
- The Mercantile Dallas Building was finished in 1954. It was 22 stories tall and 360 feet (110 meters) high.
- The last building added was the Securities Annex in 1972. It started with five stories and was designed to be made taller later.
The bank also built or bought other buildings nearby. The Mercantile Continental Building was built in 1948 across Commerce Street. It provided more parking and office space for the growing bank. Later, the bank built the Jackson Street Garage. This garage had the bank's large "motor bank" where people could do banking from their cars. A tunnel was built to connect this garage and the Continental Building to the main Merc complex.
In 1976, the bank bought another building called Vaughn Tower. They renamed it the Mercantile Commerce Building. The last building built by the bank was Momentum Place in 1987. This building connected the original Merc complex to Dallas's underground walkway system.
However, in the late 1980s, the economy faced problems. The bank, MCorp Bank, had financial difficulties and was eventually taken over by another bank in 1989. The Merc complex was used sometimes after that, but it became completely empty on February 5, 1993.
Bringing The Merc Back to Life
For many years, the empty Merc complex was a challenge. It had a lot of asbestos, a material that needed to be safely removed before any work could begin. Also, the buildings were not well-suited for apartments because many areas didn't have windows. This meant some parts would need to be torn down. These two issues made it very expensive to change the buildings for new uses.
After three different plans didn't work out, a company called Forest City Enterprises found a way to make the project happen. In 2005, they announced a deal with the City of Dallas. The city would provide US$60.5 million to help renovate the building.
The main Merc tower was turned into 225 apartments with shops on the ground floor. The three newer additions to the complex were not considered historically important, so they were torn down. The modern wall covering the base of the building was removed, showing its original look. Balconies were also added to one side of the building.
On the spot where the Securities Annex once stood, a new 15-story apartment building called The Element was built. Parking was added underneath it. A swimming pool and a plaza were also created for the people living in Mercantile Place. This project also includes the historic Wilson Building nearby. The grand opening for the renovated Merc was in April 2009.
The Famous Tower Clock
The clock tower and its 115-foot (35-meter) tall ornamental spire are a well-known landmark in downtown Dallas. The Merc has four huge clock faces, each about 20 feet (6.1 meters) across. These are among the largest clock faces in the United States!
In 2007, new parts and hands were made for the tower clocks. The clock hands now light up with LEDs (light-emitting diodes), replacing the old neon lights. Above the clock, a series of LED lights (which were originally neon) show weather information. White light rings flash upwards when the temperature is expected to rise and downwards when it's expected to fall. A star-shaped light at the very top of the spire glows green for fair weather and red for bad weather.
Artwork Inside The Merc
During the building's expansions in the 1950s, many beautiful mosaics were created by artist Millard Sheets. These mosaics were made in Venice, Italy, and then installed throughout the lobbies, stairways, and executive offices.
When the building was being torn down and renovated, people who wanted to save historical items asked for the mosaics, stained glass, and enamel artwork to be removed. A Dallas investor named Timothy Headington provided the money needed, about $270,000, to save and store the artwork. A local company carefully cut the mosaics from the walls and removed all the artwork in 2006. Some of the smaller decorations are now displayed in public areas of the renovated building. However, the larger pieces are still kept in storage. A similar mosaic can also be seen on the outside of the nearby Mercantile Continental Building.
The Merc in Pop Culture
- A local radio host named Mike Rhyner from Sportsradio 1310 The Ticket often starts his show by checking the time "according to the Tower of the Friendly Mercan-teel."
Images for kids
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The Mercantile at night.
See also
In Spanish: Mercantile National Bank Building para niños
