226:) to design a new headquarters for them on the site. Construction began in late 1929 with the corner of the Marjorie Block being demolished. A ceremony was held by Central National Bank on January 24, 1931, and the tower was completed on August 20, 1930. After the tower was completed, Central National left its 2 West Michigan headquarters and moved into the building and the new headquarters opened to the public on June 20, 1931. The new building contained other office spaces which was leased by prominent Battle Creek attorneys, physicians, dentists, accountants, and real estate agents. The buildings exterior was made with buff-colored Indiana Oolitic limestone, perched on a black granite base. The front facade is 66 feet wide and symmetrical. The main central entrance is set into a large square-head portal which is faced with grey granite. Deeply recessed vertical window banks on the tower emphasize the vertical lines of the tower. Originally, there was a relief with the number 4%, in reference to a sign on the bank's original headquarters. The 4% was later changed to 3% before being plastered over. The building was also the tallest building in the city, over passing the Battle Creek Sanitarium "Towers" built in 1929. This was then over passed by the
200:
830:
48:
837:
236:
Company, which changed the name to the
Wolverine Federal Tower. In the mid-1970s, along with the demolition of the former, Post Motor Inn or the Post Tavern, a 7-story annex was built next to the tower where the former Regent Theatre. The company added a W sign at the top where the 4%/3% was. This was changed to a W & F somewhere around 1954. In 1961, a
258:
in which most of them refused and
Nationwide retained offices in the building. In that same year, the Hinman Company, who recently had the building sold to them, renamed the building the Battle Creek Tower and redeveloped the building into a mixed use development, with the upper floors redesigned as residential space.
270:
style. It has a nearly square-plan tower located in front along
Michigan Avenue, and a four-story section extending to the rear. The exterior of the tower is faced with buff-colored Indiana Oolitic limestone, perched on a black granite base. The front facade is 66 feet wide and symmetrical. The main
257:
bought the
Wolverine Insurance Company and merged becoming the Nationwide-Wolverine Insurance Company and began a $ 9 million improvements on the elevators, electrical systems and sprinkler systems. In 2000, Nationwide sold the building to the Hinman Company and planned to move its employees to Iowa,
230:
in 1931 and that tower still holds its place as the tallest building in Battle Creek. The remaining section of the
Marjorie Block later contained a theatre called the Regent Theatre. The building would later be demolished for a 7-story annex to the tower. Central National Bank maintained its offices
252:
bought the
Wolverine Insurance Company, along with the nearby Riverside Insurance Company and Premier Insurance Company. Wolverine Insurance Company became the Wolverine-Transamerica Insurance Corporation of Battle Creek, and a light up W & T where the W & F sign was. In 1984, the building
235:
at 1 West Main St. who also owned the bank corner icon the Bailey
Building, and moved Central National Bank's offices to a different location. Central National Bank lost its old identity when it was merged with Michigan National Bank. In 1951, the building was purchased by the Wolverine Insurance
213:
Central
National Bank and Trust Company was founded in 1903 and was one of the many banks in Battle Creek at the time and was part of the "Bank Corners". The bank was originally headquartered at 2 West Main St (Now West Michigan Avenue.) In 1929,
881:
279:
are both mounted atop the building. The third and seventeenth floors contain a series of carved limestone panels with stylized floral motifs. Deeply recessed vertical window banks on the tower emphasize the vertical lines of the tower.
886:
545:
752:
787:
777:
638:
482:
802:
782:
678:
663:
600:
487:
706:
658:
648:
628:
613:
560:
492:
389:
907:
792:
767:
762:
716:
683:
633:
595:
550:
540:
532:
472:
462:
422:
747:
693:
653:
623:
570:
467:
861:
851:
807:
575:
565:
527:
522:
512:
417:
608:
585:
452:
772:
797:
757:
729:
688:
555:
517:
698:
590:
507:
819:
711:
673:
502:
742:
737:
721:
457:
442:
437:
432:
427:
412:
71:
668:
580:
497:
447:
643:
618:
477:
382:
398:
375:
812:
876:
866:
912:
917:
856:
227:
870:
305:
188:
34:
254:
922:
199:
222:
in 1929. Central
National Bank hired the Chicago architectural firm of John A. Holabird and Wellborn Root Jr. (
241:
219:
248:
were mounted atop the Tower. The tornado siren is tested monthly on the 1st
Saturday at 1PM. In 1978,
272:
367:
249:
232:
180:
59:
218:'s widow Leila Young Post Montgomery sold the Majorie Block, named after Post's only daughter
331:
310:
271:
central entrance is set into a large square-head portal which is faced with gray granite. An
8:
276:
237:
179:
is a mixed-use commercial and residential building located at 70 West Michigan Avenue in
223:
159:
327:
National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Central National Tower
47:
901:
245:
87:
73:
325:
349:
215:
397:
267:
266:
The Battle Creek Tower is a twenty-one-story tower designed in the
146:
300:
908:
National Register of Historic Places in Calhoun County, Michigan
323:
187:, and designed as an office building. It was listed on the
324:
Peggy J. Parks; Andrea Riegler (September 29, 2007),
228:
Old-Merchants National Bank & Trust Company Tower
899:
399:National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
383:
390:
376:
46:
35:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
344:
342:
340:
198:
138:John A. Holabird, John Wellborn Root Jr.
900:
317:
301:"National Register Information System"
295:
293:
371:
337:
306:National Register of Historic Places
189:National Register of Historic Places
290:
13:
250:Transamerica Insurance Corporation
14:
934:
913:Art Deco architecture in Michigan
183:. It was originally built as the
882:Properties of religious function
835:
828:
231:until 1947, when it merged with
918:1931 establishments in Michigan
253:became the Transamerica Tower.
240:tornado siren, manufactured by
261:
154:
1:
867:Michigan State Historic Sites
283:
204:
244:was installed along with an
16:United States historic place
7:
877:National Historic Landmarks
10:
939:
220:Marjorie Merriweather Post
194:
844:
826:
405:
277:Federal Thunderbolt Siren
165:
153:NRHP reference
152:
142:
134:
119:
111:
65:
54:
45:
41:
32:
25:
21:
923:Towers completed in 1931
203:Central National Tower,
143:Architectural style
350:"History of the Tower"
233:Michigan National Bank
210:
185:Central National Tower
181:Battle Creek, Michigan
99:Central National Tower
60:Battle Creek, Michigan
27:Central National Tower
332:National Park Service
311:National Park Service
202:
88:42.32139°N 85.18417°W
58:70 W. Michigan Ave.,
255:Nationwide Insurance
313:. November 2, 2013.
224:Holabird & Root
93:42.32139; -85.18417
83: /
857:Historic districts
211:
177:Battle Creek Tower
115:less than one acre
895:
894:
173:
172:
930:
887:Railway stations
839:
838:
832:
831:
392:
385:
378:
369:
368:
362:
361:
359:
357:
352:. Hinman Company
346:
335:
334:
321:
315:
314:
297:
209:
206:
156:
130:
128:
107:
106:
104:
103:
102:
100:
95:
94:
89:
84:
81:
80:
79:
76:
50:
19:
18:
938:
937:
933:
932:
931:
929:
928:
927:
898:
897:
896:
891:
840:
836:
834:
833:
829:
824:
406:Lists by county
401:
396:
366:
365:
355:
353:
348:
347:
338:
322:
318:
299:
298:
291:
286:
264:
207:
197:
126:
124:
98:
96:
92:
90:
86:
85:
82:
77:
74:
72:
70:
69:
37:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
936:
926:
925:
920:
915:
910:
893:
892:
890:
889:
884:
879:
874:
864:
859:
854:
848:
846:
842:
841:
827:
825:
823:
822:
817:
816:
815:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
745:
740:
735:
732:
727:
724:
719:
714:
709:
704:
701:
696:
691:
686:
681:
676:
671:
666:
661:
656:
651:
646:
641:
636:
631:
626:
621:
616:
611:
606:
603:
598:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
563:
558:
553:
548:
546:Grand Traverse
543:
538:
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
500:
495:
490:
485:
480:
475:
470:
465:
460:
455:
450:
445:
440:
435:
430:
425:
420:
415:
409:
407:
403:
402:
395:
394:
387:
380:
372:
364:
363:
336:
316:
288:
287:
285:
282:
263:
260:
242:Federal Signal
196:
193:
171:
170:
169:March 20, 2008
167:
163:
162:
157:
150:
149:
144:
140:
139:
136:
132:
131:
121:
117:
116:
113:
109:
108:
67:
63:
62:
56:
52:
51:
43:
42:
39:
38:
33:
30:
29:
26:
23:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
935:
924:
921:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
905:
903:
888:
885:
883:
880:
878:
875:
872:
868:
865:
863:
860:
858:
855:
853:
850:
849:
847:
843:
821:
818:
814:
811:
810:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
733:
731:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
702:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
670:
667:
665:
662:
660:
657:
655:
652:
650:
647:
645:
642:
640:
637:
635:
632:
630:
627:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
604:
602:
599:
597:
594:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
559:
557:
554:
552:
549:
547:
544:
542:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
464:
461:
459:
456:
454:
451:
449:
446:
444:
441:
439:
436:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
419:
416:
414:
411:
410:
408:
404:
400:
393:
388:
386:
381:
379:
374:
373:
370:
351:
345:
343:
341:
333:
329:
328:
320:
312:
308:
307:
302:
296:
294:
289:
281:
278:
274:
273:American Flag
269:
259:
256:
251:
247:
246:American Flag
243:
239:
234:
229:
225:
221:
217:
201:
192:
190:
186:
182:
178:
168:
166:Added to NRHP
164:
161:
158:
151:
148:
145:
141:
137:
133:
122:
118:
114:
110:
105:
68:
64:
61:
57:
53:
49:
44:
40:
36:
31:
24:
20:
753:Presque Isle
354:. Retrieved
326:
319:
304:
265:
212:
184:
176:
174:
845:Other lists
773:Schoolcraft
703:Montmorency
262:Description
238:Thunderbolt
208: 1940
91: /
66:Coordinates
902:Categories
788:St. Joseph
778:Shiawassee
639:Livingston
483:Charlevoix
284:References
97: (
78:85°11′03″W
75:42°19′17″N
803:Washtenaw
798:Van Buren
783:St. Clair
758:Roscommon
730:Ontonagon
689:Missaukee
679:Menominee
664:Marquette
601:Kalamazoo
556:Hillsdale
518:Dickinson
488:Cheboygan
216:C.W. Post
191:in 2008.
135:Architect
871:listings
707:Muskegon
699:Montcalm
659:Manistee
649:Mackinac
629:Leelanau
614:Keweenaw
605:Kalkaska
591:Isabella
561:Houghton
508:Crawford
493:Chippewa
268:Art Deco
160:08000218
147:Art Deco
55:Location
852:Bridges
820:Wexford
813:Detroit
793:Tuscola
768:Sanilac
763:Saginaw
734:Osceola
717:Oakland
712:Newaygo
684:Midland
674:Mecosta
634:Lenawee
596:Jackson
551:Gratiot
541:Gogebic
537:Gladwin
533:Genesee
503:Clinton
473:Calhoun
463:Berrien
423:Allegan
195:History
125: (
862:Houses
748:Ottawa
743:Otsego
738:Oscoda
726:Ogemaw
722:Oceana
694:Monroe
654:Macomb
624:Lapeer
571:Ingham
468:Branch
458:Benzie
443:Baraga
438:Arenac
433:Antrim
428:Alpena
413:Alcona
356:May 1,
275:and a
808:Wayne
669:Mason
581:Iosco
576:Ionia
566:Huron
528:Emmet
523:Eaton
513:Delta
498:Clare
448:Barry
418:Alger
120:Built
644:Luce
619:Lake
609:Kent
586:Iron
478:Cass
358:2019
175:The
127:1931
123:1931
112:Area
453:Bay
155:No.
904::
339:^
330:,
309:.
303:.
292:^
205:c.
873:)
869:(
391:e
384:t
377:v
360:.
129:)
101:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)
.jpg)