Empire Building

The Empire Building in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, was constructed in 1909. After completion, the sixteen-story Classical Revival skyscraper became the tallest building in Alabama. A local paper called Birmingham View documented its construction monthly. Foundations were set by January, the first column of the top tier of structural steel was in place three months later. By May 1909, the exterior terra cotta block had been mortared and anchored. By mid-June, the building was almost finished. Teams of expert craftsmen, using limited machinery, hand-carried the construction materials needed to build the tower. The exterior of the building is covered in a molded terra-cotta with pink granite columns showcasing the First Avenue entrance.

Four years later, the American Trust and Savings building across the street, took the “tallest building in Alabama” title. These two buildings along with the Brown-Marx Tower and the John Hand Building were proclaimed the “Heaviest Corner on Earth.” Today, it is still the most prominent corner in downtown Birmingham. In 1917, a crowd of 35,000 looked on as the Human Fly scaled the building’s exterior. The publicity stunt received national press coverage.

Originally, a drug store occupied the ground floor, with offices and businesses on the upper floors. The Empire Building was sold in 1964. After a year-long remodel, the building reopened with City National Bank occupying the ground floor. In 1982, the Empire Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. After sitting vacant for three years the Empire building was purchased by investors in 2012. A $27 million renovation revamped the 107-year-old building into a five-star boutique Marriot hotel. The Elyton Hotel opened in 2017 with 117 guest rooms, a restaurant, and a rooftop bar.

For more photos of the former Empire Building as well as many others, check out Abandoned Birmingham.