Insurance Company Of North America Building (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
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The Insurance Company of North America Building, now known as The Phoenix, is a historic commercial building in downtown
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. Built in 1925, it was for many years the home of the
Insurance Company of North America Insurance Company of North America (INA) is the oldest capital stock insurance company in the United States, founded in Philadelphia in 1792. It was one of the largest American insurance companies of the 19th and 20th centuries before merging with ...
(INA), the nation's first and oldest joint-stock insurance company. It was designated a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
in 1978. and   The building, occupied by INA until 1991, has been developed into condominiums.


Description and history

The former Insurance Company of North America Building is located on the west side of JFK Plaza, just north of
Suburban Station Suburban Station is an Art Deco office building and underground commuter rail station in Penn Center in Philadelphia. Its official SEPTA address is 16th Street and JFK Boulevard. The station is owned and operated by SEPTA and is one of the t ...
in Philadelphia's central Penn Center area. It is a sixteen-story steel-framed commercial building, finished in brick and stone, occupying an entire city block bounded by Arch, Cuthbert, 16th and 17th Streets. It has a granite lower level, above which rises a tower of ten uniform stories in brick, topped by a four-story crown. The building was designed by architects Stewardson & Page, formerly
Cope & Stewardson Cope and Stewardson (1885–1912) was a Philadelphia architecture firm founded by Walter Cope and John Stewardson, and best known for its Collegiate Gothic building and campus designs. Cope and Stewardson established the firm in 1885, and were jo ...
, and built by Stone & Webster, Inc. The building was built to house the headquarters of the
Insurance Company of North America Insurance Company of North America (INA) is the oldest capital stock insurance company in the United States, founded in Philadelphia in 1792. It was one of the largest American insurance companies of the 19th and 20th centuries before merging with ...
(INA), then one of the largest
property insurance Property insurance provides protection against most risks to property, such as fire, theft and some weather damage. This includes specialized forms of insurance such as fire insurance, flood insurance, earthquake insurance, home insurance, or bo ...
companies in the United States.Adams, p. 2. The company was founded in 1794, and was the nation's first
joint-stock company A joint-stock company (JSC) is a business entity in which shares of the company's stock can be bought and sold by shareholders. Each shareholder owns company stock in proportion, evidenced by their shares (certificates of ownership). Shareho ...
devoted to selling insurance. The company is credited with numerous innovations in its long history, including an early grading of marine risks in a standardized manner, and the introduction of homeowner's insurance policies that encompassed a variety of different risks. It also played a role in the creation of the agency model of insurance sales. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978 in recognition of the company's historic significance. It was converted to condominiums in 2002. WTP D09 AMP 2.jpg, Insurance Company of North America (1925), 16th St. entrance. WTP D09 AMP 1.jpg Insurance Company of North America Historical Marker 436 Walnut St Philadelphia PA (DSC 4239).jpg, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Marker


See also

*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia There are 67 National Historic Landmarks within Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. See also the List of National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania, which covers the 102 landmarks in the rest of the state. Current listings ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Center City, Philadelphia National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ...


References


External links


Insurance Company of North America
at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
Phoenix Condominiums
{{Authority control 1925 establishments in Pennsylvania Arch Street Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia Logan Square, Philadelphia National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania Office buildings completed in 1925 Residential buildings in Philadelphia