Lincoln Bank Tower

Infobox Skyscraper
building_name = Lincoln Tower


built = 1930
use = Office
location = 116 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States flagicon|US
roof = convert|312|ft|m|0
top_floor =
antenna_spire =
floor_count = 23
floor_area =
elevator_count =
architect = Alvin M. Strauss
skyscraperpage_id = 9928|

The Lincoln Tower in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States, is an Art-Deco highrise building. Construction started in late 1929 with the building's opening in 1930. For decades, it was the tallest building in the state. [ [http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=9928 Lincoln Bank Tower Profile on skyscraperpage.com] Retrieved 2008-04-01.] The building was also known as "Lincoln Bank Tower" to distinguish it from the building at 215 Berry Street, which had been known as the "Lincoln Life Building" from 1912 until 1923. Today, that other building is commonly known by the original Elektron Building name.

History

Lincoln National Bank and Trust was chartered as The German American National Bank in 1905. During World War I, anti-German sentiment had run high. German Shepherd dogs became Alsatians, sauerkraut became liberty cabbage, and the city of Syracuse, New York, banned the German card game of pinochle. On May 31, 1918, the German American National Bank became Lincoln National Bank.

The choice of Lincoln as a name was fairly appealing, not only was there the thriving insurance company, also founded in 1905, down the street, but people were still excited about the Lincoln Highway, ("the main street of America") that passed through Fort Wayne to be the first coast-to-coast highway in America. In 1928, Lincoln National Bank merged with Lincoln Trust Company (formerly known as Strauss Brothers Commercial Bank) to become Lincoln National Bank and Trust.

Shortly after Lincoln National Bank and Trust was formed, President Charles Buesching commissioned a skyscraper to serve as headquarters for the new bank. Buesching considered it to be a monument to the German immigrants who settled the Fort Wayne area at the turn of the 20^th century and formed the backbone of his investors, depositors, and customers. Buesching himself was a German immigrant.

Alvin M. Strauss of Fort Wayne was architect, while Buesching and Hagerman were contractors for the building. Some design elements were based on the Tribune Tower in Chicago. [ [http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/US/IN/FtWayneLincolnBankTower.html Lincoln Bank Tower Profile on glasssteelandstone.com] Retrieved 2008-04-01.] Ground was broken on August 16, 1929, for the building, and despite the Great Crash on October 24, construction continued on the $1.3 million structure.

It was the tallest building of any kind in the state until 1962 [ [http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=9928 Lincoln Bank Tower Profile on skyscraperpage.com] Retrieved 2008-04-01.] , and tallest in Fort Wayne until the Fort Wayne National Bank Building (now National City Center) was built in 1970.

In 1995, the former Lincoln National Bank and Trust, by then part of Norwest Bank, moved into new facilities at Norwest City Center. Lincoln Tower was 60% vacant after this move. In 1997, Lincoln Tower had been sold at sheriff's sale. There had been a $2 million default on the mortgage of a building that originally cost $1.3 million to build. In 1998, Tippmann Properties bought Lincoln Tower, and began to carefully refurbish it. A new bank, calling itself Tower Bank, announced it would open in Lincoln Tower, occupying the lobby and some office space. [ [http://www.towerbank.net/index.html Tower Bank Homepage] . Retrieved on 2008-05-17.]

Building details

Seven bronze panels at the main entrance depict scenes from the life of President crown, and 500 tons of marble. At the top of the building is a slender observation tower topped by a flagpole.

Between the entrance and the lobby, there is a snack shop with the original 1930 soda fountain still in use. The main banking lobby itself is convert|85|ft|m wide, convert|110|ft|m long, and two stories tall. There are large art deco murals depicting the industries and the seasons, using elemental symbolism from Greek and Egyptian traditions, such as a female form to represent fecundity and the sun to represent energy. Materials include hand-wrought bronze, Milford granite, Italian Travertine marble, several rate types of green Vermont marble, and Indiana limestone.

References

External links

* [http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/US/IN/FtWayneLincolnBankTower.html Lincoln Tower entry at GlassSteelandStone.com]
* [http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=9928 Lincoln Tower entry on Skyscraperpage.com]
* [http://www.tippmanngroup.com/pdfs/LincolnTower.pdf Lincoln Tower brochure]