Massey Building
- This article is about the 1925 building. For the 1905 Massey Building at 2024–2026 3rd Avenue North, see Massey Business College building.
Massey Building (formerly the Bankers Mortgage-Bond Building or Bankers Bond Building) is a 10-story office building located on the northeast corner of Block 85, southwest of the intersection of 3rd Avenue North and 21st Street North.
Richard Massey commissioned the 65,000-square foot tower in 1925. It was owned jointly by him and by his firm, the Bankers Mortgage-Bond Company. The building was managed by McConnell, White & Terry.
Architect William Leslie Welton drew inspiration from Spain's Moorish architecture. The building's terra-cotta ornamentation features spiral-fluted columns and pointed elements atop the parapet meant to mimic minarets. Escutcheons over the recessed archway entrances on each facade bear the builder's initial "M". The reinforced concrete building with brick veneer was constructed by the Smallman-Brice Construction Company for approximately $500,000. The office building was renamed for Massey when his business failed during the Great Depression.
The building underwent a major renovation in 1986. Currently the Massey Building is primarily leased to attorneys, with small retail spaces located on the first floor.
In 2012 the entire northeast corner of the first floor was converted into a branch for Iberia Bank. The building is currently owned by brothers Leo and Ed Ticheli.
Former tenants
- Ground floor
- Rooms
- 822: James Gatling architect
References
- "Smallman-Brice to Build Bankers Mortgage-Bond Bldg." (May 25, 1924) The Dixie Manufacturer, Vol. 54, No. 10, p. 18
- White, Marjorie Longenecker (1977) Downtown Birmingham: Architectural and Historical Walking Tour Guide. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society.
- "The Massey Building" (1991) Old Birmingham magazine. Vol. 1, No. 3, p. 16
External links
- Massey Building on Emporis
- 3-D model of the Massey Building by Jordan Herring