Delmarva Power & Light Building

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Delmarva Power & Light Building
Delaware College of Art and Design, Wilmington DE.jpg
Building from the intersection of Market & 6th
USA Delaware location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location600 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Coordinates 39°44′31″N75°33′00″W / 39.74194°N 75.55000°W / 39.74194; -75.55000
Built1932, 1955
Built byUnited Engineers and Contractors, Inc.
Architect Brown & Whiteside
Architectural style Art Deco
Website dcad.edu
Part of Downtown Wilmington Commercial Historic District (ID10000079 [1] )
MPS Market Street MRA (64000105)
NRHP reference No. 85000149 [2]
Significant dates
Designated NRHPJanuary 30, 1985
Designated CPMarch 24, 2017

The Delmarva Power & Light Building, also known as the DCAD Building, is a historic office building in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. The former headquarters of Delmarva Power & Light (DP&L) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [2]

Contents


History

DP&L decided to build the headquarters in 1931 which was completed the subsequent year. While the original building was four stories, it was engineered with a fifth floor in mind which was eventually added in 1954. In 1972, the company moved their headquarters to 8th & King and the building sat vacant for a decade before Chase Manhattan Bank leased the space. [3]

In 1997, the newly created Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD) took over the building from the bank to use as their main academic building with classrooms, studio space, and offices. [4] In 2021, DCAD sold their adjacent resident hall and used some of the proceeds to refurbish the interior. [5] In 2024, the school announced that they would permanently close down. [6]

Architecture

The pilasters rising to the fourth-floor parapet Delmarva Power & Light Building pilasters.jpg
The pilasters rising to the fourth-floor parapet

The Art Deco building faces Market Street with an Indiana limestone facade consisting of six bays. Granite piers frame the main entrance which is below a transom containing a lightning bolt motif. [3]

The first floor sits on a black granite base. The second through fourth floors have four triangular fluted limestone pilasters with floral capitals. The fourth-floor has a parapet featuring stylized cresting in limestone. [1] The fifth floor is a plain brick penthouse. [3] The 6th Street side of the building is less ornate, consisting largely of painted brick. [1]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 McMahon, Kevin (September 9, 2016) [March 4, 2016]. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Downtown Wilmington Commercial Historic District". National Park Service. National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "National Register Information System  Delmarva Power & Light Building (#85000149)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Delmarva Power & Light Building". National Register of Historic Places. 1984. Retrieved July 12, 2024 via National Archives.
  4. Vuocolo, Alex (March 9, 2017). "Delaware College of Art and Design sticks to two-year model". Delaware Business Times . Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  5. Owens, Jacob (January 26, 2021). "DCAD sells Saville residence hall for $3.3M". Delaware Business Times. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  6. Powers, Kelly (May 23, 2024). "Delaware College of Art and Design to close permanently in Wilmington" . The News Journal . Gannett . Retrieved May 26, 2024.