Liberty National Building
The Liberty National Building (originally the Pioneer Building) is a combined 10- and 16- story office building at the intersection of 20th Street and 3rd Avenue South. It was the headquarters of the Liberty National Life Insurance Company from 1931 to 2010.
The original 10-story structure facing 20th Street was developed as a speculative project in 1925. The building was designed by Warren, Knight & Davis and constructed by C. M. Allen & Son. The recently-completed office tower was purchased by Liberty National for $227,000 in 1931 for its headquarters offices. In addition to the life insurance company, the building housed the the U. S. Bureau of Investigation's Birmingham field office.
A six-story addition was completed in 1952. A 1/5th-scale bronze replica of the Statue of Liberty was placed on top of the older building on September 13, 1958. Liberty National provided guides for visitors wishing to see the statue up close.
In 1971 a 10-story addition to the lower building was completed at a cost of $5,500,000, overshadowing the original structure. The expansion was also designed by Warren, Knight and Davis and constructed by Brice Building Company. The addition utilized the same white-glazed face brick as the earlier building and provided space for a new employee cafeteria as well as eight high-speed elevators and new heating and air-conditioning equipment.
Liberty National vacated the 487,000-square foot downtown building, in 2010, moving its Birmingham offices, with 225 employees, to 30,000 square feet in the 100 Concourse building in Riverchase.
In 2010 Robert Simon of Corporate Realty Development announced plans to purchase the building and erect a new 12-story office tower in its place. The proposal is contingent on CRD landing a corporate headquarters tenant.
References
- "Liberty National to build upward" (May 1969) The Birmingham News - accessed via Birmingham Rewound
- Samford, Frank P, Jr (October 3, 1984) Torchmark Corporation: History of a New Company. Birmingham: Newcomen Society address.
- Cooper, Lauren B. (July 23, 2010) "Liberty National leaves downtown." Birmingham Business Journal
- Tomberlin, Michael (October 17, 2010) "The man with the Magic City touch: Developer has plans for downtown Birmingham tower." The Birmingham News
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External links
- Liberty National Building on Emporis.com
- 3-D model of the Liberty National Building by Jordan Herring