National Register of Historic Places

Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company Building

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
November 27, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78002447

About this property

The Wells Fargo Building, originally the Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company Building, is a skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Designed in the Beaux-Arts style by the architectural firm Simon & Simon, the building was erected for the Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Co. in 1928. The 30-story high-rise is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was long regarded as premier office space, but by the 1980s, tenants were leaving for newer buildings in the West Market Street neighborhood. Extensive rehab work has since drawn new tenants. Its largest tenant has always been the Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company or its successor companies — today, Wells Fargo. The 405-foot (123 m) limestone and granite skyscraper features recesses that give the building an H-shape above the fifth floor. Decorations include sculpture by Piccirilli Brothers and 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) of marble. Seven medallions, mainly depicting early American coins, decorate the street-level facade. Bas-relief figures decorate the spandrels above the building's bronze doors, which are themselves decorated by high-relief panels depicting the history of commerce and civilization.

Location

123--151 S. Broad St.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.94948, -75.16398

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Philadelphia Stock Exchange
Early Republic
0 mi
Union League of Philadelphia
Civil War
0 mi
Witherspoon Building
Civil War
0 mi
Bellevue Stratford Hotel
Industrial
0.1 mi
Land Title Building
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
3 mi
Battle of Gloucester (NJ) 1777
1777Revolutionary War
4.6 mi
Battle of Barren Hill
1778Revolutionary War
4.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company Building listed on the National Register?

Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 27, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company Building?

Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company Building?

The period of significance for Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company Building?

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