Equitable Building
- Architect
- Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson
- Year
- 1924
- Style
- Gothic Revival
- City
- Des Moines, IA
The Equitable Building is a 19-story, 318-foot high-rise at 604 Locust Street, completed in 1924 and named for its original owner, the insurance company Equitable of Iowa. For 49 years it was the tallest building in Iowa, until Financial Center surpassed it in 1973; it is now the eighth tallest building in the state. The building holds retail, office, and residential space, with a conversion of much of it to condominiums underway since early 2006.
the building
Iowa's tallest for 49 years. At 318 feet and 19 stories, the Equitable Building was the tallest building in Iowa from its 1924 completion until Financial Center overtook it in 1973; it now ranks eighth tallest in the state.
Long-tenured jeweler. Joseph's Jewelry occupied the main retail space for 83 years before announcing in late 2007 it would relocate to Davis Brown Tower at 10th Street and Walnut, a move completed in 2008.
the style
The building was designed in the Gothic Revival style, one of the era's forms for expressing height in an early Iowa skyscraper.
More on Gothic Revivalthe architect
The building was designed by the firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, a documented prolific regional practice.
significance
The tallest building in Iowa for 49 years after its 1924 completion, until Financial Center's 1973 completion; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Iowa Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit in May 2009 alleging asbestos violations from 2005 to 2008 during renovation of the top 13 floors.
nearby
- Des Moines Building
- Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Building
- Fleming Building
- Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Des Moines Building
- Younker Brothers Department Store
- Hippee Building