Renaissance Centre (Erie, Pennsylvania) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Renaissance Centre |
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North and west sides of Renaissance Centre, July 2010
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| Former names | G. Daniel Baldwin Building Erie Trust Company Building |
| General information | |
| Type | Office building |
| Architectural style | Art Deco, Renaissance Revival |
| Location | 1001–1007 State Street Erie, Pennsylvania United States |
| Coordinates | 42°7′31.75″N 80°4′55.38″W / 42.1254861°N 80.0820500°W |
| Construction started | 1925 |
| Completed | 1928 |
| Renovated | 1996–1998 |
| Cost | $2 million |
| Height | 198 ft (60 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 14 |
| Floor area | 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Dennison & Hirons |
| Official name: Erie Trust Company Building | |
| Designated: | August 10, 2000 |
| Reference #: | 00000967 |
The Renaissance Centre is a tall building, also known as a skyscraper, in Erie, Pennsylvania in the United States. It stands about 198 feet (60 meters) high. This building was once called the Erie Trust Company Building and later the G. Daniel Baldwin Building.
It was planned to be the main office for the biggest bank in Erie. The company Dennison and Hirons designed it in 1925. The building was finished in 1928, during a time called the Roaring Twenties. Sadly, the bank that owned it failed in 1933 because of the Great Depression.
In 1943, the building was renamed the G. Daniel Baldwin Building. Then, in 1996, it became the Renaissance Centre. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, which means it's an important historical site.
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Building Design and Look
The Renaissance Centre is located in downtown Erie. It sits where State Street and East 10th Street meet. State Street is a main road that goes north and south in Erie.
This building is the only skyscraper in the city. It stands out in the city's skyline. The Renaissance Centre is 198 feet (60 meters) tall. It is the tallest multi-story building in Erie, Pennsylvania. However, the central spire of St. Peter Cathedral is even taller, at 265 feet (81 meters).
The first three floors on the north and west sides of the building are covered with limestone. The other floors are covered with light-colored brick. The main entrance on State Street has several arches that go up one and a half stories. The building's name is carved above the archway.
Starting from the 11th floor, parts of the building are set back. This means they are built a little further in from the edge. The south and east sides of the building are simpler. The middle windows on the south side are set back. This makes the building look like a shallow "U" shape from above.
Inside the Renaissance Centre
The Renaissance Centre has 14 floors. It has a total floor space of about 150,000 square feet (13,935 square meters).
Originally, the first floor was the main lobby for the bank. Now, it has an open area and shops for different businesses. There were six large paintings, called murals, on the first floor. These murals were painted by Edward A. Turnbull from New York City. They showed important events from the history of Erie. Five of these murals are still there, but they were covered up during renovations.
The 14th floor offers amazing views. You can see Presque Isle State Park and Lake Erie. On clear days, you can even see Long Point in Canada.
History of the Building
After the National Bank Act was passed in 1864, many banks started in Erie. One of them was Dime Savings and Loan, founded in 1866. It later became the Erie Trust Company in 1902.
After World War I, there was a lot of new building in downtown Erie. By the mid-1920s, the Erie Trust Company was the biggest bank in the city. They needed a larger space. So, in 1925, they hired Dennison and Hirons, an architecture firm from New York City, to design their new main office.
The Erie Trust Company Building was finished in 1928. It cost $2 million to build. A year later, in 1929, the stock market crashed. This started the Great Depression. By 1933, the Erie Trust Company went out of business. What was left of it and another bank became the National Bank and Trust. This new bank continued to use the building, which was now owned by the state of Pennsylvania.
New Owners and New Names
The state sold the Erie Trust Company Building in 1943. It was bought by the Tenth Street Building Corporation, a local real estate company, for $377,000. In 1945, the building was renamed after the company's president, G. Daniel Baldwin. He passed away the next year.
The National Bank and Trust continued to rent the first floor and some offices. In 1951, First National Bank took over. First National Bank stayed in the Baldwin Building until the 1980s. Even though the owners had a good business, less than 30 percent of the building was used in the 1970s and 1980s.
In June 1996, the G. Daniel Baldwin Building was put up for sale again. The Tenth Street Building Corporation gave the building to a charity golf event. It was then sold to a local developer named Tom Kennedy for $315,000. The money went to charity.
Kennedy renamed the building the Renaissance Centre. This was part of a plan to make the building new and exciting again. A new sign was put up that looked like the original stone. From 1996 to late 1998, the Renaissance Centre went through a $2.2 million renovation. On August 10, 2000, the Renaissance Centre was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
