NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. Aug. 2002) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service 8 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES ~~ ~A~I~Wfl %~ks~~~~1{fACES REGISTRATION FORM .. - ... .. This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 1 0-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. =============================================================================== 1. N arne of Property =============================================================================== historic name _Capital Bank Tower_________________ _ other name ~ /site number _Boji Tower. ===========~=================================~================================= 2. Location =========================~===================================================== street & number _124 W. Allegan Street not for publication_N/A_ city or town _Lansing_ _ _____ vicinity _N/A_ st:2tc ___Michigan ____ code _MI_ county _Ingham code _065 zip code _ 48933 __ ==~==================~======================================================== 3. Sta ~e/F e deral Agency Certification ===~========================================================================== As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this _X_ nomination __ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Regi~ter of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property _X_ meets __ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recomrnend that this property he considered significant_ nationally -,-. slap;~{];: ~t;=~-Iation sheet for ,:]:r;al f~. -mm_e_n-ts-.)-- · Signature of certlfymg ofntful Dat _ ___MI SHFO _________-t--- ·------------ State or Federal Agency or Tribal govem1-:1e11 Capital National Tower Ingham County, Michigan Page 2 In my opinion, the property __ meets __ does not meet the National Register criteria. (_See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature of commenting official/Title Date State or Federal agency and bureau ============================================================================== 4. National Park Service Certification ============================================================================== I, hereby certify that this property is: __ entered in the National Register See continuation sheet. __ determined eligible for the National Register See continuation sheet. __ determined not eligible for the National Register __ removed from the National Register _____________ ~~-t,-os Date of Action ~================================~====================================== 5. Classification =============================================================================== Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) _x_ private _public-local _ public-State _public-Federal Category of Property (Check only one box) _x_ building(s) district site structure _object Number of Resources within Property Contributing Noncontributing 1 __ buildings sites structures Capital National Tower Ingham County, Michigan Page 3 __ objects 1 __0_ Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register _0_ Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) _Downtown Lansing ______________ =============================================================================== 6. Function or Use ===============================================================~=============== Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Cat: _COMMERCE/TRADE Sub: _financial institution __ _ COMMERCE/TRADE____ __business,______ _ Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Cat: ___COMMERCE/TRADE__ Sub: _business ============================================================================~== 7. Description =================~============================================================= Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) _Art Deco _ _____________ _ Skyscraper__ _ Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation _Granite___________ _ roof ASPHALT______ ___ walls BRICK_________ _ ___Limestone __________ _ other __METAL ___________ _ Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) --------------------------- NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET CAPITAL NATIONAL TOWER Ingham County, Michigan Section 7 Page 1 7. Physical Description The Capital National Tower is a brick, twenty two-story tower with a Romanesque base and Art Deco inspired upper floors located in the downtown business district of the City of Lansing, directly east of the Michigan State Capitol building. Rectangular in plan, the tower covers the southwest corner ofthe building and its top, clad in limestone, steps back at the corners. The building fills two city lots and abuts the sidewalk on both Capitol A venue and Allegan Street, leaving no room for landscaping. The property is in good condition with a ten-story addition constructed in 1967 and a more recent replacement ofthe windows in the lower levels. The original building was completed in 1931 and consists of an eighteen-story tower that sits atop a four-story bank building encompassing an entire city lot measuring 66 by 135 feet. In 1967 a ten-story addition that replicated the style and materials ofthe original building was added on a full second city lot to the east. The entire building has a polished granite foundation that supports a steel structure clad on the exterior with reddish brown brick and limestone trim. On the corners and between the hays of the tower, piers with seventeen shades ofbrick graduating from dark brown at the bottom to buff at the top have regularly spaced rows of darker brick to simulate quoins. Tena cotta and brick provide arches and decorative elements on the lower part of the building, and limestone provides a decorative cap to the parapet walls and caps offthe tower. The main entrance to the original building fronts on Allegan Street and has a three-story recessed Romanesque archway. The archway is emphasized on both sides with three terra-cotta columns with differing decorative shafts. The trim surrounding the top of the arch corresponds to the column shaft that it rests on. Rosettes punctuate the front of the arch. Four stone steps rise through the arch to the recessed aluminum doorways which consist of two revolving doors with a set of double doors between them. The entire entrance bay is covered with a thick black metal "roof' that has on its fascia in gold letters, "Boji Tower, 124 W. Allegan." It is unknown when this entry configuration was installed; originally the entrance was of wrought-bronze and had decorative gates in front of the doors and decorative grills above. Corinthian pilasters separated the bays. Topping off the entry were wrought-bronze panels with the same circular design found on medallions within the arches just below the start of the windows of the tower. Behind and above the doors is a two-story arched window openi..'1g with a regular grid formed by the mullions. Originally this opening contained similarly configured metal windows with clear glass; they were replaced in 2004. Windows flank both sides of the main entrance. At the frrst level a fixed casement window, originally double hung, has a gothic arch with anum relief in the arch. Above each of these windows is a single double hung window. Above the windows, mnning around the entire exterior, is a slightly projecting cornice that corresponds to the top of the capitols in the arches of the entrance and other openings. On the front of the tower above the cornice are four bands of patterned brick that are interspersed with square medallions alternating between a ship and an eagle. A blind arcade in brick with a rosette in the center of each arch runs across every bay and caps off the base of the tower and mns around to the north elevation on the lower part of the building. The north elevation of the original building has a single two-story arched window in each bay of the tower and banking hall. The windows were replaced in 2004 with a grid pattern forn1ed by mullions and reflective glass. The original windows were metal with a similar mullion configuration; however, the glass was clear and there was a solid band conesponding to the cornice running in line with the spring points of the arches and above the lower section of windows. The arch surrounds have a decorative tetTa-cotta molding. In the floor above are paired double hung NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET CAPITAL NATIONAL TOWER Ingham County, Michigan Section 7 Page 2 windows separated by a Corinthian pilaster. Each window has a blind arch with a terra-cotta urn relief filling the arch. Above the windows across all of the bays is a blind brick arcade