Frank Nelson Building: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Frank Nelson Building.jpg|right|thumb|325px|Frank Nelson Building in March 2010]] | [[Image:Frank Nelson Building.jpg|right|thumb|325px|Frank Nelson Building in March 2010]] | ||
The '''Frank Nelson Building''' is a 10-story office building located on the northeast corner of [[20th Street North|20th Street]] and [[2nd Avenue North]] in downtown [[Birmingham]]. Constructed in [[1903]] as the '''First National Bank Building''', it was one of the city's first "[[List of buildings by height|skyscrapers]]". It served as the headquarters for the [[First National Bank of Birmingham]]. The building was designed by [[William Weston]] with [[Charles Wheelock & Sons]] and cost about $700,000 to build. | The '''Frank Nelson Building''' is a 10-story office building located on the northeast corner of [[20th Street North|20th Street]] and [[2nd Avenue North]] in downtown [[Birmingham]]. Constructed in [[1903]] as the '''First National Bank Building''', it was one of the city's first "[[List of buildings by height|skyscrapers]]". It served as the headquarters for the [[First National Bank of Birmingham]]. The building was designed by [[William Weston]] with [[Charles Wheelock & Sons]] and cost about $700,000 to build. | ||
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The Frank Nelson Building features retail shops along both 20th Street and 2nd Avenue. Those shops currently house a UPS Store, [[Trattoria Centrale]], and [[Pita Loco]]. The corner space, previously home of [[A. & A. Ash Jewelers]], now houses the offices of software developers [[Whiteboard It]]. | The Frank Nelson Building features retail shops along both 20th Street and 2nd Avenue. Those shops currently house a UPS Store, [[Trattoria Centrale]], and [[Pita Loco]]. The corner space, previously home of [[A. & A. Ash Jewelers]], now houses the offices of software developers [[Whiteboard It]]. | ||
The offices served as the home of the [[Birmingham School of Law]] from [[1996]] to [[2012]]. The [[Woodruff Manufacturing Company]] also has offices in the building. In [[2018]] [[Orchestra Partners]] | The offices served as the home of the [[Birmingham School of Law]] from [[1996]] to [[2012]]. The [[Woodruff Manufacturing Company]] also has offices in the building. In [[2018]] [[Orchestra Partners]] began a redevelopment and rebranding of the property as "'''The Frank'''". The project was awarded $5 million in [[Historic Preservation Tax Credit]] from the state of Alabama and secured $6.15 million in financing the Atlanta-based Ardent Companies. In [[2021]] Orchestra Partners modified its redevelopment plan to include residential units on floors 2 through 10. The ground floor will feature an open courtyard space. Construction began in June of that year. | ||
==Tenants== | ==Tenants== | ||
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*** 203: [[Flagg Shoes]] (1931) | *** 203: [[Flagg Shoes]] (1931) | ||
*** 205: building entrance, [[First National Bank of Birmingham]], [[National Safe Deposit Co.]] / [[Brown Bros & Co.]] / [[Office Service Co.]] / [[Otto Marx & Co.]] / [[Cook & Co.]] / [[A. E. Campbell Catering Co.]] / [[Davis & Cammack]] / [[L. Satterfield]] (1905) | *** 205: building entrance, [[First National Bank of Birmingham]], [[National Safe Deposit Co.]] / [[Brown Bros & Co.]] / [[Office Service Co.]] / [[Otto Marx & Co.]] / [[Cook & Co.]] / [[A. E. Campbell Catering Co.]] / [[Davis & Cammack]] / [[L. Satterfield]] (1905) | ||
*** 207: [[Trattoria | *** 207: [[Trattoria ZaZa]] (2009-), former location of [[Adam Hats]] (1931-1941), [[Florsheim Shoes]] (1946), [[Mary Ball Candies]] (1964), [[Puff & Browse Smokeshop]] (1980s) [[Roma's Italian Bistro]] (-2009), [[Synovus Bank]] branch (2023–) | ||
**** 207½: former location of [[John Sarver]] (1926) | **** 207½: former location of [[John Sarver]] (1926) | ||
*** 209: [[UPS Store]], former location of [[Wainwright Hamm]] (1926), [[United Woolen Stores]] (c. 1931-1964) | *** 209: [[UPS Store]], former location of [[Wainwright Hamm]] (1926), [[United Woolen Stores]] (c. 1931-1964) | ||
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** 517-518: [[H. M. Harton]] / [[Sibley Bros]] / [[R. D. Johnston]] (1905) | ** 517-518: [[H. M. Harton]] / [[Sibley Bros]] / [[R. D. Johnston]] (1905) | ||
** 519-520: [[F. L. Whitman]] (1905) | ** 519-520: [[F. L. Whitman]] (1905) | ||
** 521-524: [[Atlanta & Birmingham Air Line Railway]] ( | ** 521-524: [[Atlanta & Birmingham Air Line Railway]] (1904–1909) | ||
** 525-526: [[E. Hammill]] / [[C. W. Mills & Co.]] / [[Southern Atlantic Life Insurance Co.]] (1905) | ** 525-526: [[E. Hammill]] / [[C. W. Mills & Co.]] / [[Southern Atlantic Life Insurance Co.]] (1905) | ||
** 527-530: [[Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co.]] / [[P. C. Ratliff]] (1905) | ** 527-530: [[Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co.]] / [[P. C. Ratliff]] (1905) | ||
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** 1038: [[Davis Drilling & Prospecting Co.]] / [[J. L. Davidson]] (1905) | ** 1038: [[Davis Drilling & Prospecting Co.]] / [[J. L. Davidson]] (1905) | ||
** [[Woodruff Manufacturing Company]] | ** [[Woodruff Manufacturing Company]] | ||
* 11th floor | |||
** 1100: [[Henry Sprott Long & Associates|Long & Pacely]] architects (1946) | |||
|} | |} | ||
==Gallery== | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:1903 1st Natl Bank rendering.jpg|1903 rendering of the First National Bank Building | |||
Image:Frank Nelson Building 1904.jpg|1904 Bert Covell photo of the First National Bank Building | |||
File:1st Natl Bank Bldg postcard.jpg|1900s postcard view of the First National Bank Building | |||
File:1906 1st Nat Bank.jpg|1906 photograph of the First National Bank Building | |||
File:1908 1st National Bldg.jpg|1908 photograph of the First National Bank Building | |||
</gallery> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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* ''First National Bank of Birmingham v. State'' (1954) 77 So. 2d 653 | * ''First National Bank of Birmingham v. State'' (1954) 77 So. 2d 653 | ||
* Satterfield, Carolyn Green (1976) "Historic Sites of Jefferson County, Alabama" Jefferson County Historical Commission | * Satterfield, Carolyn Green (1976) "Historic Sites of Jefferson County, Alabama" Jefferson County Historical Commission | ||
* Van der Bijl, Hanno (March 31, 2021) "National Park Service approves new plan for historic Frank Nelson Building." {{BBJ}} | |||
* Van der Bijl, Hanno (May 21, 2021) "Orchestra Partners launches $40M redevelopment of historic Frank Nelson building." {{BBJ}} | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{Locate | lat= 33.515751 | lon=-86.806152 | zoom=16 | type=h }} | {{Locate | lat= 33.515751 | lon=-86.806152 | zoom=16 | type=h }} | ||
* [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=franknelsonbuilding-birmingham-al-usa Frank Nelson Building] on Emporis | * [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=franknelsonbuilding-birmingham-al-usa Frank Nelson Building] on Emporis | ||
[[Category:Frank Nelson Building|*]] | [[Category:Frank Nelson Building|*]] | ||
Latest revision as of 10:35, 18 April 2024
The Frank Nelson Building is a 10-story office building located on the northeast corner of 20th Street and 2nd Avenue North in downtown Birmingham. Constructed in 1903 as the First National Bank Building, it was one of the city's first "skyscrapers". It served as the headquarters for the First National Bank of Birmingham. The building was designed by William Weston with Charles Wheelock & Sons and cost about $700,000 to build.
The site for the building, which was owned by T. C. McDonald in 1900, had been announced as the site of a 10-story, 278-room "Hotel Cynthia", which was never built.
A large vertical sign reading "FIRST NAT'L BANK" was attached to the corner of the 3rd-6th floors before 1906. In 1926 the bank negotiated a property swap with real estate developer Frank Nelson Jr. The bank would acquire the "Hood Corner" and adjoining parcels on the northwest corner of 20th Street and 3rd Avenue North in exchange for its building and one adjoining parcel. Nelson honored his part of the agreement by turning over the deeds to the Hood Corner properties. The bank, as agreed, retained its ownership of the existing building for a period not to exceed ten years, and began making monthly payments to Nelson (and to his estate after his death in 1928).
In 1930, however, First National Bank of Birmingham merged with American-Traders National Bank (which Nelson had co-founded) and which occupied the taller American Trust and Savings Bank Building on the southeast corner of 20th Street and 1st Avenue North. The combined bank remodeled the lower floors of that building and relocated in 1940.
Meanwhile, in 1936, at the end of its ten-year term, First National negotiated a new contract with Nelson's estate, including an option for the estate to purchase the bank building for $1,400,000. The building was, in fact, deeded to Nelson's heirs in 1939 and was re-named in his honor.
The Frank Nelson Building features retail shops along both 20th Street and 2nd Avenue. Those shops currently house a UPS Store, Trattoria Centrale, and Pita Loco. The corner space, previously home of A. & A. Ash Jewelers, now houses the offices of software developers Whiteboard It.
The offices served as the home of the Birmingham School of Law from 1996 to 2012. The Woodruff Manufacturing Company also has offices in the building. In 2018 Orchestra Partners began a redevelopment and rebranding of the property as "The Frank". The project was awarded $5 million in Historic Preservation Tax Credit from the state of Alabama and secured $6.15 million in financing the Atlanta-based Ardent Companies. In 2021 Orchestra Partners modified its redevelopment plan to include residential units on floors 2 through 10. The ground floor will feature an open courtyard space. Construction began in June of that year.
Tenants
Gallery
1903 rendering of the First National Bank Building
1904 Bert Covell photo of the First National Bank Building
1900s postcard view of the First National Bank Building
1906 photograph of the First National Bank Building
1908 photograph of the First National Bank Building
References
- "British Shipping Industry" (August 6, 1903) Taranaki (New Zealand) Herald. Vol. 50, No. 12,325
- First National Bank of Birmingham v. State (1954) 77 So. 2d 653
- Satterfield, Carolyn Green (1976) "Historic Sites of Jefferson County, Alabama" Jefferson County Historical Commission
- Van der Bijl, Hanno (March 31, 2021) "National Park Service approves new plan for historic Frank Nelson Building." Birmingham Business Journal
- Van der Bijl, Hanno (May 21, 2021) "Orchestra Partners launches $40M redevelopment of historic Frank Nelson building." Birmingham Business Journal
External links
- Frank Nelson Building on Emporis