{"nrhp_refnum":"78001964","name":"Independence Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"100--102 W. Trade St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Charlotte","county":"Mecklenburg County","state":"NC","lat":35.22759342300003,"lon":-80.84298129099994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-09-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A fourteen-story Renaissance Revival office building in the Beaux-Arts tradition at 100-102 West Trade Street, on the northwest corner of The Square in Charlotte, North Carolina. Built in 1908-1909 and enlarged in 1927-1928.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it was the first steel-frame high-rise built in North Carolina and the oldest building in the state showing Chicago School influence. It was designed by Frank P. Milburn, a prominent Carolinas architect, and was remodeled by William L. Stoddart. It is also tied to Charlotte's rise as a commercial center, through figures such as Julian H. Little and the J. A. Jones Construction Company.","narrative":"Rising fourteen stories at Trade and Tryon streets, the Independence Building anchors the northwest corner of Charlotte's central Square. Built in 1908-1909 for the Charlotte Realty Company, it was designed by architect Frank P. Milburn and erected by the J. A. Jones Construction Company, whose first skyscraper it was. Contemporary newspapers and later scholarship identify it as the first steel-frame high-rise in North Carolina. Its design divides the block into base, shaft and capital, with tall brick pilasters ending in round arches, a approach drawn from late nineteenth-century Chicago skyscrapers. In 1927-1928 architect William L. Stoddart remodeled the base and added the thirteenth and fourteenth stories. The building took its name after the Independence Trust Company, led by banker Julian H. Little, opened there in 1912. Storefronts later replaced parts of the base, but the elevator lobby and upper floors keep marble, oak and brass finishes. The building reflects Charlotte's growth as the state's commercial center.","period_of_significance":"1908-1909","architect_builder":"Frank P. Milburn, William L. Stoddart (builder: J. A. Jones Construction Company)","architectural_style":"Renaissance style in the Beaux-Arts tradition (Renaissance Revival), showing Chicago School influence","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Listed as partially occupied; the upper floors retain much of their original interior finish, while the first floor and mezzanine have been renovated twice.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:58:57.427898-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/78/7212/47721278/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/78001964.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47721278","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14707980"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/mecklenburg-county/independence-building-78001964/"}