National Transit Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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National Transit Building
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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View from Seneca Street
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 206 Seneca St., Oil City, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1890, 1896 |
| Built by | Brenot, Oscar; Robinson, Horace B. |
| Architectural style | Chicago |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002477 |
| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1978 |
The National Transit Building is a historic commercial building in Oil City, Pennsylvania. You can find it at 206 Seneca Street. The main part of the building was finished in 1890. It is a four-story building made of stone and brick.
An extra part, called the annex, was built in 1896. This annex connects to the main building with an enclosed bridge. This bridge links the second, third, and fourth floors. The main entrance has a beautiful sandstone archway.
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A Hub for Oil Business
The National Transit Building was once a very important place for the oil industry. It was the main office for John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company. This company was a giant in moving oil through pipelines.
Building Design and Features
The architects who designed the building were Curtis and Archer. They were from Fredonia, New York. Horace B. Robinson, the builder, even etched his initials into a second-floor window. He used his diamond ring to do it!
The building opened in 1890. It cost $90,000. It was the first building in the United States with offices just for oil pipeline companies. The main building is made of red brick. Six years later, the yellow brick annex was added.
The two buildings are connected by an architectural "bridge." Together, they have a total of 25,880 square feet of space. The foundation of the building was made from cut stone. This stone came from the Humboldt Refining Company.
The original building has cool round corners. These were made using special curved bricks. Other parts of the building have decorative bricks with different patterns.
Amazing Interior Details
There was a lot of care put into building the National Transit Building. The floors at the main entrance are made of shiny marble. The walls are covered with solid oak wood panels.
The banisters and newel posts are made of wrought iron. They have fancy brass and bronze decorations. Even the doorknobs are special! They were made from American Civil War cannonballs.
Another amazing feature is the water-powered elevator in the annex. It was designed like an elevator in the Eiffel Tower in Paris. This elevator worked for many years. However, this type of elevator was later banned by the state. You can still see its complex parts today.
A Historic Landmark
In 1978, the National Transit Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important historic sites across the country.
Over the years, the building had a few different owners. Then, Ralph Nader's organization bought it. Ralph Nader is a famous consumer advocate. His organization later gave the building to the Oil City Civic Center.
In 2005, a large mural was added to the lobby. This mural wraps around the room. It shows the history of oil and natural gas exploration in the area. It was created after a lot of historical research.
Saving the Building
The building went through some tough times in the late 1980s and 1990s. There were even plans to tear it down! But Ralph Nader heard about it and bought the building. A few years later, he gave it to a non-profit group. This group is called the Oil City Civic Center. Volunteers have worked hard to restore the building.
Today's Use
Today, the National Transit Building is a center for arts in Oil City. It offers spaces for artists to work and teach. This includes visual artists, musicians, and dancers. There are also two art galleries and a performance space.
The Oil City Civic Center, Inc. is in charge of keeping this historic building safe. They also provide affordable spaces for other non-profit groups.
In 2016, the building hosted the first-ever Oil Valley Film Festival.
