Civic Center drawing

This architectural sketch shows the Civic Center in Columbus, Ohio, ca. 1931. The Scioto River dominates the drawing, curving to the southwest. Four bridges span the river. The term "Civic Center" here refers to the cluster of government and public buildings that hug the river's east bank. Tallest among them is the The American Insurance Union Citadel (left), now known as the LeVeque Tower, was dedicated on September 21, 1927. The 47-story tall skyscraper, located at 50 West Broad Street, was designed by architect C. Howard Crane in the Art Deco style. Due to the Great Depression, the American Insurance Union went bankrupt and sold the building. The tower was purchased by John Lincoln and Leslie L. LeVeque in 1945. To the right of the LeVeque Tower stands the Ohio State Office Building. Its construction began in 1930 and was completed in 1933. The 14-story building was designed by Cincinnati architect Harry Hake and serves as a classic example of the Modernistic style. The building was later known as the Ohio Judicial Center until 2011, when the state Supreme Court named the center in honor of the late Chief Justice Thomas Moyer, who was the second-longest-serving chief justice in state history at the time of his death in April 2010. City Hall is situated to the left of the LeVeque Tower