One South Broad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids One South Broad |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Office |
| Architectural style | Art deco |
| Address | 1 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 United States |
| Coordinates | 39°57′5″N 75°9′49″W / 39.95139°N 75.16361°W |
| Completed | 1932 |
| Owner | One South Broad, LLP |
| Height | |
| Roof | 472 feet (144 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 28 |
| Floor area | 465,000 square feet (43,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Torrey Windrim |
| Developer | Wanamaker's |
|
1 S. Broad Street
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
| Part of | Broad Street Historic District (ID84003529) |
| Designated CP | April 6, 1984 |
One South Broad is a tall office building in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is also known as the Lincoln-Liberty Building or PNB Building. This 28-story tower stands 472-foot (144 m) high. It was designed in the Art Deco style by architect John Torrey Windrim. The building was finished in 1932.
It was first built as an extra part of Wanamaker's department store. The first seven floors were home to Wanamaker's Men's Store. This store was meant to be as big and grand as European department stores. In 1952, the Philadelphia National Bank (PNB) bought the building. They changed it into offices and banking areas. For many years, the building's bell tower had PNB's initials, which were 16 feet (4.9 m) tall. Today, Wells Fargo is the main tenant, using almost half of the building. The old banking area on the ground floor became shops and restaurants in 2000.
One South Broad has 465,000 square feet (43,000 m2) of space. It features a three-story lobby that connects to the Widener Building next door. The 24th and 25th floors once held a fancy penthouse apartment. This apartment was designed for Rodman Wanamaker and his wife. It was changed into office space in 2000. The tower also holds the 17-ton Founder's Bell. This bell is one of the largest in the world and honors John Wanamaker. It rings every hour, except on Sundays, and is listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.
Building History
In the late 1920s, many tall buildings were being built in Center City Philadelphia. Wanamaker's department store decided to build its own skyscraper. Wanamaker's wanted to expand its Philadelphia store. They planned a new building that would have a store just for men. Wanamaker's bought land on South Broad Street, across from Philadelphia City Hall. Two older 13-story buildings were on this land. These buildings were torn down in 1926 to make way for the new Lincoln-Liberty Building.
The Lincoln-Liberty Building was finished in 1932. It was meant to hold a large men's department store and offices. The Wanamaker Men's Store opened on October 12, 1932. The opening included buglers playing and the ringing of the building's Founders Bell. Even though it opened during the Great Depression, Wanamaker's believed the economy would get better. The men's store was the biggest of its kind in the world. It had US$2 million worth of goods. In the 1950s, the men's store moved to the main Wanamaker Building nearby.
In the early 1950s, the Philadelphia National Bank (PNB) needed more space. On November 3, 1952, the bank bought the Lincoln-Liberty Building for US$8.75 million. PNB spent millions of dollars to update the building. They changed the old department store floors into banking areas. In 1955, they added a sign with the bank's initials to the top of the building. The bank officially opened in the building, now called the PNB Building, on January 16, 1956.
PNB and its parent company, CoreStates, owned the building until 1996. Then, the JPMorgan Strategic Property Fund bought it for almost US$28.5 million. In 1998, a large law firm moved out, leaving empty space. This led the owners to renovate the building, which was renamed One South Broad. The renovations cost US$10 million. They updated the elevators, security, and safety systems. They also changed the lower floors into retail and restaurant spaces. The renovations took 18 months. One South Broad was officially rededicated on May 3, 2000.
In 2003, JPMorgan sold One South Broad to investor David Werner for US$48 million. At that time, Wachovia was the biggest tenant. Wachovia had gained office space after merging with First Union Corporation. In 2006, Wachovia agreed to stay in One South Broad and other nearby buildings until the 2020s.
Building Design
One South Broad is a 28-story, 472 feet (144 m) tall Art Deco office tower. It is located on South Broad Street in Center City Philadelphia. Architect John Torrey Windrim designed the skyscraper, which has 465,000 square feet (43,000 m2) of space. The building's lower front originally had many details. These were removed in the 1950s when the Philadelphia National Bank renovated it. The bank added black granite slabs to the street level. In the 2000 renovation, these were replaced with Italian granite to match the building's original look better. The 2000 renovation also created a new entrance on Broad Street. This entrance leads to a three-story lobby that connects to the Widener Building.
The 24th and 25th floors each have 9,000 square feet (840 m2) of space. These floors were once a penthouse apartment for Rodman Wanamaker. It had five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and outdoor terraces. The rooms featured wood floors, marble fireplaces, and detailed crown molding. Rodman Wanamaker died before the building was finished. His wife lived there only for a short time because she did not like the bell ringing above. In 2000, these penthouse floors were changed into office space.
The Philadelphia National Bank's initials were on top of the building until 2014. These letters were made of 16 feet (4.9 m) stainless steel. Each letter weighed 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg). Until the 1970s, PNB used the sign to show the weather. Red lights meant it would get warmer, and green lights meant it would get colder. In 2003, Wachovia thought about removing the PNB sign. But many Philadelphians wanted the sign to stay because it reminded them of the old bank. On August 17, 2014, three of the PNB letters were removed by helicopter. The rest were removed on November 16.
The Founder's Bell
Inside the bell tower is the 15-ton (34,776 lbs) Founder's Bell. Rodman Wanamaker ordered this bell in 1925 to honor his father, John Wanamaker, who started the department store. The bell was made by Gillett & Johnston in England. It is 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m) wide at the bottom and 7 feet 9 inches (2.36 m) tall. It is one of the largest bells in the world. The bell came to New York City by ship in 1926. Then, it traveled to Philadelphia by train. The bell was so big that it had only 2 inches (5.1 cm) of space in some tunnels.
The bell is tuned to a low D bass clef. Its first home was the Wanamaker Building, a block from One South Broad. It hung 325 feet (99 m) above the street in a special tower. The bell was first rung on New Year's Eve in 1926. It rings every hour, except on Sundays. The bell was first meant to swing in the tower of One South Broad. But its swinging shook the building. So, a hammer powered by an electric motor was installed to ring the bell instead. The bell's ringing can be heard for 25 miles (40 km). Many people mistakenly think the sound comes from City Hall's clock tower across the street.
In 1962, Philadelphia Orchestra conductor Leopold Stokowski said the bell had "one of the finest sounds I have heard anywhere." In June 2000, the Founder's Bell was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.
Building Tenants
The Wanamaker's Men's Store used the first seven floors until 1952. Then, the Philadelphia National Bank moved in. Over the years, PNB changed names to CoreStates, First Union Corp, Wachovia, and finally Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo bought Wachovia in 2008. Today, Wells Fargo is the main tenant of One South Broad, using about half of the building. Other businesses in the building include law firms and advertising companies.
The street-level space was a bank branch after PNB bought the building. The bank branch closed in the 1990s. It was then changed into two large areas for shops or restaurants. A McCormick & Schmick's restaurant opened in 2001. In late 2002, a Borders bookstore moved into the corner of Broad and Chestnut Streets. This bookstore closed in 2011. A three-story Walgreens now occupies that space. You can still see parts of the beautiful plasterwork ceiling from the old Wanamaker Men's Store on the upper stories there.
See also
In Spanish: One South Broad para niños
