By: Sam Richards

The skyline of any city is a major symbol for not only what the city represents but also for the people that inhabit the area. One of the major highlights in the Columbus skyline is the Lincoln Leveque Tower. This 555 foot 6-inch tower (Tebben 1) opened in 1927 under the name American Insurance Union (AIU) Citadel and grew to become one of the city’s most notable features.

Located on the north-east corner of Broad Street and Front Street, the Leveque tower represents the stance of Columbus growing from a region known for its farmland to a major United States city in the Midwest. The designer of this building was C. Howard Crane. Crane focused on the exterior façade to be built of white terra-cotta blocks which are complemented by large and detailed terra-cotta statues shaped into figures such as eagles and angles throughout the entire facade. (Rose 1). These statues range from the bottom level to the top edges of the structure. The statues near the top of the building were later removed due to structural and safety concerns.

The American Insurance Union came under fire in the era of the Great Depression and as a result to the groups economic crash the structure was foreclosed upon. The result of the foreclosure led to building being bought by Columbus Developers Leslie Leveque and John Lincoln in 1945, who partnered up and focused on restoring the structure to its former glory (Tebben 1). The two focused on revitalizing the tower and using its space as a core to the city and its infrastructure.

The Leveque tower is also well known for being the home to one of the Columbus’ hallmark classic areas within the city, the Palace Theatre. Located in the northeast corner of the structure and is operated by the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA). This association utilizes this space to put on major shows and events that create a unique gathering space amongst the city and its residents.

Today tower stands as a strong representation to the character of Columbus and the people of this great city. In recent years, the tower has begun to have the need for major inspections and has shown signs for need of major repairs. As a result of these inspections, there has been found the need for some of the more notable features on the exterior to become removed. This includes the famous statues that sat atop the tower near its peak. These marvelous statues have been replaced by major lights that illuminate the tower and add a new sense of character with their ability to change color for different occasions (Tebben 1).

The tower is currently undergoing major renovations to the interior of the building. The interior is being adjusted to encompass new amounts of economic infrastructure within the downtown area of the city. This infrastructure will include new office spaces, retail, and a luxury hotel. These new functions will serve the city and its people in new ways and will again solidify the idea of the Leveque tower as being one of the most important structures to the city of Columbus.

Works Cited

Rose, Marla Matzer. “LeVeque Tower Showing Fruits of $27 Million Restoration.” The Columbus Dispatch. The Columbus Dispatch, 27 Aug. 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Tebben, Gerald. “Columbus Mileposts: Sept. 23, 1924 | LeVeque Tower Begins as AIU Citadel.” The Columbus Dispatch. FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 22 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

By: Sam Richards

The most distinguishing aspect to any place of education, especially that of a major state university, is the aspect of how a building relates to those it serves. Page Hall of the Ohio State University is a strong advocate for this connection to the people of the university and community that it serves, Page Hall is located on the South Eastern corner of the Oval on College Road and houses classes related to many majors and general education classes, but largely houses and functions for the needs of those in the John Glenn Institute and the School of Public Policy and Management.

Built in 1903, the building is well known for its famous architectural significant exterior façade. Page Hall was the ninth building constructed on Ohio State’s campus and originally housed the university’s college of Law. The building was named after Henry Folsom Page, a famous Ohio Attorney that gave a large donation to the university to complete the building ( Nihiser 1). The façade is decorated will large sense of precedents related to classical architecture. This idea is resembled in the large focus on columns and a grand porch that faces the oval and resembles as the most notable feature of the building.


In 1959 the university decided to move the law school out of Page Hall and various functions took place in the building until the university focused on the area to be used for the now home of the John Glenn Institute in 2004. The focus of this space has become a major highlight to the university as the space provides a unique experience between the design and those who interact with it and provokes a sense of a unique learning space.

The building went under major renovations in 2004 where the University created a campus wide focus on revitalizing the major architectural markers on campus and giving them new focus and attention. The university focused on Page Hall by re-designing its major entryway façade by creating new ramps and ways of entry without destroying the architectural significance the connection to classical architecture provides.

This major landmark in architecture on campus provides a unique connection to the people it serves at this university while also focusing on its design of being a place of architectural significance and a place of learning on the campus. This piece is very important to the university as a whole and will continue to be for decades to come.

Works Cited

Nihiser, Wes. “Page Hall.” The Lantern. Ohio State University Journalism, 18 Feb. 2007. Web. 20 Nov. 2016. <http://thelantern.com/2003/08/page-hall/>.