Does anyone know why this iconic facade stands here? This is the Crum and Forster Building. It is a testament to Atlanta’s architectural history.
The Crum and Forster Building was built in 1928. It served as a regional office for a national insurance firm. The building stands at 771 Spring Street in Midtown Atlanta.
Ed Ivey and Lewis Crook designed the Crum and Forster Building in 1926. Both were Georgia Tech graduates. They helped establish the Architecture program at Georgia Tech in 1908. The Crum and Forster Building boasts a Renaissance facade. Its columns and arches add to its unique character.
Crum and Forster was the first national insurance company to open its own location in Atlanta. The building helped cement Atlanta as a regional center for insurance firms.
In 2007, the Georgia Tech Foundation purchased the Crum and Forster Building. They sought permits to demolish it to expand Technology Square. Preservationists fought the demolition. In August 2009, the Atlanta City Council granted the building protective status as a historic landmark. The Georgia Tech Foundation appealed the decision.
The Georgia Tech Foundation purchased an adjoining property. It was previously a SunTrust Banks branch. In September 2013, they demolished two-thirds of the Crum and Forster Building. They left only part of its facade. This made space for a High Performance Computing Center.
The demolition was ironic. The building was designed by the same architecture firm responsible for Rockefeller Center. It also designed the United Nations Building.
Today, only the facade remains of the Crum and Forster Building. It has been cleaned and repainted. The building’s signature cast iron entry chandelier has been restored. A new exterior egress stair was added behind the historic building. It uses existing openings and anchors through mortar joints. This minimizes disturbance to the historic fabric. It allows easy removal if future use changes.
The Crum and Forster Building has been made accessible. There is a new entry and bridge connection to the neighboring CODA building plaza. A new elevator has been added. The interior common spaces were repaired and restored. This includes the original plaster walls. It also includes the terrazzo and marble floors of the lobbies and interior stair. New code-compliant restrooms were added. The remaining spaces were modernized for future office use. All-new building systems were installed.
Plans were made to build an 8,000-square-foot restaurant in the remaining portion of the building. It would be adjacent to a new 20,000-square-foot food hall at the adjacent new CODA mixed-use development.
The Crum and Forster Building stands as a reminder. It reflects Atlanta’s past and its ongoing evolution. It is a symbol of preservation. It also shows innovative adaptation in a rapidly changing city.