LeVeque Tower
Completed in 1927 to a height of exactly 555 feet — matching the Washington Monument to the inch — the LeVeque Tower is the most deliberately symbolic skyscraper in Ohio and one of the finest Art Deco towers in the American Midwest.
At a glance
The LeVeque Tower stands at the northwest corner of West Broad Street and North High Street in downtown Columbus, its ornate crown visible from most approaches to the Ohio capital. Originally named the American Insurance Union Citadel, it was completed in 1927 for the American Insurance Union — a fraternal benefit society that wanted the tallest building in Ohio and chose 555 feet as its symbolic height to equal the Washington Monument. The tower was eventually renamed the LeVeque Tower after the LeVeque family acquired it. It operates today as a boutique hotel and residential building.
Key facts
- Completed: 1927
- Architects: C. Howard Crane and Kenneth Franzheim
- Height: 555 ft (169 m) — deliberately equal to the Washington Monument
- Original name: American Insurance Union Citadel
- Client: American Insurance Union
- Address: 50 West Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215
- National Historic Landmark: 1975
History
The American Insurance Union was a fraternal insurance society founded in the Midwest in the late nineteenth century. By the 1920s it had accumulated sufficient capital to commission a headquarters building that would be the tallest in Ohio and, at 555 feet, would match the height of the Washington Monument — a deliberate symbolic alignment with American civic identity. The architects C. Howard Crane (who had designed the Fisher Theatre in Detroit) and Kenneth Franzheim produced a design that combined classical ornament with Art Deco verticality, using Gothic and Byzantine motifs alongside the sleek geometric detail characteristic of the period.
The American Insurance Union occupied the building for several decades before financial difficulties led to its sale. The building’s name changed several times with successive ownership. The LeVeque family — Ohio real estate developers — subsequently acquired the property and attached their name to it. The tower has been a Columbus landmark throughout, visible from Interstates 70 and 71 as they pass through the city.
A restoration and adaptive reuse conversion completed in the 2010s transformed the upper floors into the LeVeque, Autograph Collection hotel, while retail and office space occupy the lower levels. The project preserved the historic fabric of the building while returning it to active daily use.
What you see
The LeVeque Tower is one of the most ornate skyscrapers of its era. The base presents a series of arched window bays with carved stone ornament in a Gothic-Byzantine vein; the upper floors narrow through progressive setbacks, and the crown — an octagonal lantern trimmed with elaborate finials — concentrates the building’s decorative energy at the point farthest from the street. At night, the crown is illuminated, and the tower glows against the Columbus skyline with the intensity of a ceremonial object rather than a commercial building.
The street-level entrance on Broad Street retains original carved stonework around the main portal, and the lobby — restored as part of the hotel conversion — preserves the original ceiling height and marble detail. The ornament throughout mixes Gothic tracery with Egyptian Revival motifs and the clean geometric borders associated with Art Deco, a combination that dates the building very precisely to the mid-1920s transition between historicism and modernity.
Practical information
- Access: Hotel lobby open to visitors; public spaces include a bar and restaurant
- Tours: No formal public tours; the lobby and restaurant allow architectural appreciation without booking
- Allow: 20–30 minutes to view the exterior and lobby
- Best view: From the corner of Broad and High Streets, looking north-west at dusk when the illuminated crown is most dramatic
Getting there
The LeVeque Tower is at 50 West Broad Street in downtown Columbus, at the intersection of Broad and High Streets — the city’s central crossroads. COTA bus routes serve High Street directly in front of the building. John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) is approximately 9 miles east; the airport is not served by rail, but COTA bus service connects it to downtown in approximately 40–50 minutes depending on route.
Nearby
- Ohio Statehouse (1861) — the Greek Revival state capitol building, directly adjacent on the opposite corner of Broad and High
- Short North Arts District — walkable arts and restaurant district 0.5 miles north along High Street
- Columbus Museum of Art — broad collection including American Modernism, 0.3 miles east on Broad Street
Sources
- National Park Service, National Historic Landmark nomination, LeVeque Tower (1975)
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) documentation
- Columbus Landmarks Foundation records
- Ohio History Connection — architectural documentation
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