National Historic Landmark

Insurance Company of North America Building

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
June 1, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78002449

About this property

The Insurance Company of North America Building, now known as The Phoenix, is a historic commercial building in downtown Philadelphia. Built in 1925, it was for many years the home of the Insurance Company of North America (INA), the nation's first and oldest joint-stock insurance company. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978. The building, occupied by INA until 1991, has been developed into condominiums. The former Insurance Company of North America Building is located on the west side of JFK Plaza, just north of Suburban Station 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 65-foot (20 m) 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, and built by Stone & Webster, Inc. The building was built to house the headquarters of the Insurance Company of North America (INA), then one of the largest property insurance companies in the United States. The company was founded in 1794, and was the nation's first joint-stock company 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. List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia National Register of Historic Places listings in Center City, Philadelphia Insurance Company of North America at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings

Location

1600 Arch St.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.95462, -75.16686

Categories

COMMERCE
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

Wesley Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Race Street Friends Meetinghouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Young Men's Christian Association
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Arch Street Presbyterian Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
2.8 mi
Battle of Barren Hill
1778Revolutionary War
4.5 mi
Battle of Gloucester (NJ) 1777
1777Revolutionary War
4.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Insurance Company of North America Building listed on the National Register?

Insurance Company of North America Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 1, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Insurance Company of North America Building?

Insurance Company of North America Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Insurance Company of North America Building a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Insurance Company of North America Building has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Insurance Company of North America Building?

The period of significance for Insurance Company of North America Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Insurance Company of North America Building?

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