Owen Building (Columbia, South Carolina)

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Owens Building
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Location 1321 Lady St., Columbia, South Carolina
Coordinates 34°0′14″N81°1′54″W / 34.00389°N 81.03167°W / 34.00389; -81.03167 Coordinates: 34°0′14″N81°1′54″W / 34.00389°N 81.03167°W / 34.00389; -81.03167
Area 0.1 acres (0.040 ha)
Built 1949
Architectural style Skyscraper
NRHP reference # 13000398 [1]
Added to NRHP June 14, 2013

The Owen Building, known more recently as the Bruce Building, is a historic office building at 1321 Lady Street in Columbia, South Carolina. It is an eight-story concrete structure which was built in 1949 around the core of an older two-story brick building. It was designed by Lafaye, Lafaye, and Fair for local businessman Frank Owen, and was the first skyscraper built in the city after World War II. Its primary tenant for many years was Southern Bell Telephone Company, who in 1961 constructed an annex to the building to house computer equipment. It was purchased by the Seibels Bruce Insurance Company, another major tenant, in 1980. The building exterior has been relatively little-altered since its construction, and it retains some of its early internal features, including a period mail chute. [2]

Columbia, South Carolina Capital of South Carolina

Columbia is the capital and second largest city of the U.S. state of South Carolina, with a population estimate of 134,309 as of 2016. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. It is the center of the Columbia metropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 767,598 as of the 2010 United States Census, growing to 817,488 by July 1, 2016, according to 2015 U.S. Census estimates. The name Columbia is a poetic term used for the United States, originating from the name of Christopher Columbus.

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company was once the regional Bell Operating Company serving the states of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina prior to the breakup of AT&T. It also covered the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee until 1968 when those were split off to form South Central Bell.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. [1]

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

See also

National Register of Historic Places listings in Columbia, South Carolina Wikimedia list article

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Columbia, South Carolina.

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References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. "NRHP nomination for Owen Building" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-08-29.