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Society for Savings Building
Society Bldg.jpg
General information
Location 127 Public Square
Cleveland, Ohio
Construction started 1889
Completed 1890
Opening 1890
Height
Roof 152 ft (46 m)
Technical details
Floor count 10
Design and construction
Architect John Wellborn Root
Developer Society for Savings
Society for Savings Building
Society for Savings Building is located in Cleveland
Society for Savings Building
Location in Cleveland
Society for Savings Building is located in Ohio
Society for Savings Building
Location in Ohio
Society for Savings Building is located in the United States
Society for Savings Building
Location in the United States
Location Cleveland, Ohio
Built 1890
Architect Burnham & Root
Architectural style Late Victorian
NRHP reference No. 76001401
Added to NRHP November 07, 1976

The Society for Savings Building is a tall and historic building in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It's also known as the Society Corp. Building. You can find it right on Public Square in downtown Cleveland.

This building was finished in 1889. For a while, it was the tallest building in Cleveland! It stood 152 feet (46 meters) tall and had 10 floors. In 1896, another building, the Guardian Bank Building, became taller. Many people think the Society for Savings Building was the very first modern skyscraper in Cleveland and even in the whole state of Ohio. It was designed by a famous architect named John Wellborn Root. He worked for the company Burnham & Root in Chicago.

Building Design and Style

The Society for Savings Building has a really cool mix of old architectural styles. Its design combines parts of Gothic, Romanesque, and Renaissance styles.

  • You can see Gothic elements in its tall, pointed shapes.
  • Romanesque styles show up in the strong, rounded arches over the windows.
  • Renaissance ideas are in its balanced and classic look.

The building's outside walls are made of red sandstone. It also has strong granite pillars. These different materials and styles make it unique.

A Look at History

Societybank
The Society for Savings Building in 1910
Society
The Society for Savings Building in 1965

The Society for Savings Building was built to be an office for a company called the Society for Savings. Even though the building was mostly done in late 1889, it officially opened on June 23, 1890. People in Ohio called it "Ohio's skyscraper" because it was the first modern tall building in the city and state.

From 1896 to 1910, it was the main office for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, also known as BLE. This was a group for people who drove trains. The building is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1976. This list helps protect important historical places.

Today, the Society for Savings Building is part of a larger area called Key Center. The Key Tower, which is the tallest building in Cleveland, was built right next to it. The lobbies of the two buildings were connected. When this happened, the Society for Savings Building got a big makeover. It was carefully fixed up and restored by an architecture firm. The building now has a lot of office space inside.

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