National Old Line Insurance Company Building

United States historic place


National Old Line Insurance Company Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Exterior view, November 2020
34°44′45″N 92°17′16″W / 34.74583°N 92.28778°W / 34.74583; -92.28778
Area	less than one acre
Built	1953 (1953)
Architect	Yandell Johnson
Architectural style	International Style
NRHP reference No.	100003985^[1]
Added to NRHP	May 29, 2019

The National Old Line Insurance Company Building is a historic office building at 501 Woodlane Street in Little Rock, Arkansas. Originally built for the offices of National Old Line, it is now the Winthrop Rockefeller State Office Building. It is a modern six-story structure of concrete and steel, occupying much of the city block bounded by Woodlane, Capitol, Sixth, and Victory Streets. It is directly across Woodlane Street from the Arkansas State Capitol, and presently houses state offices. It was designed by Arkansas architect Yandell Johnson and built in 1953–54, with an addition in 1964–54. The exterior is characterized by alternating horizontal bands of windows and limestone panels, which encircle the structure. It is regarded as one of the best examples in the state of the International style of architecture.^[2] The penthouse was originally designed as an apartment for National Equity Insurance Co. founder Clyde E. Lowry and his wife Olive. National Equity merged with National Old Line in 1961. They never occupied the space. It was used frequently to host visiting dignitaries and celebrities including Carol Channing, Bob Hope, Neil Armstrong, Eleanor Roosevelt, Avery Dulles, and then Senator Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson.^[3]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
^ "NRHP nomination for National Old Line Insurance Company Building". State of Arkansas. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
^ Papers of Clyde Edwin Lowry; Box 2 (Private Lowry Family Archives Available for research by application)^{[unreliable source?]}