Massey Building

Detail of the Massey Building in April 2007

Massey Building (formerly the Bankers Bond Building) is a 10-story office building located on the southwest corner of 3rd Avenue North and 21st Street North. Richard Massey commissioned the 65,000-square foot tower in 1925 for $500,000. 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.

Ground floor of the Massey Building in March 2007

The office building was originally named for its primary tenant, the Bankers Mortgage Bond Company, but renamed for the builder and developer when the 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
  • 1st Church of Christ Scientist
  • Moe's Original BBQ
  • Remon's Clothier
• Rooms
  • 822: James Gatling architect

References

• 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