{"nrhp_refnum":"86003421","name":"Central Assurance Company","other_names":["AFSCME--Ohio Council 8"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"741 E. Broad St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Columbus","county":"Franklin County","state":"OH","lat":39.964236921000065,"lon":-82.98094763899996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-12-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Art Deco office building at 741 East Broad Street in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, built in 1942 by the Central Assurance Company. It has a cut stone facade and a steel frame.","why_significant":"The building is argued to be exceptionally significant under Criterion C as a well-developed example of Art Deco design on a small commercial building. It is one of few remaining Art Deco commercial buildings in Columbus and the only one on East Broad Street. It also represents the eastward spread of commercial development along East Broad Street.","narrative":"Built in 1942 by the Central Assurance Company, this two-story office building at 741 East Broad Street in Columbus shows Art Deco design at a small scale. Its cut stone facade has large fluted pylons at each end, stepped setbacks, and a projecting three-bay central entrance. Two engaged Tuscan Doric columns flank the doorway beneath a heavy flat cornice. Stylized floral panels are carved into the end projections and recessed spandrels, and a low parapet of triangles gives the roofline a wave-like look. The building was recognized as a notably refined example of the style, even though it came late in the Art Deco period. Few commercial buildings of this type remain in Columbus, and it is the only one on East Broad Street. It also marks the last phase of the street's development, when commercial uses spread east from downtown into a formerly residential area. Its low scale and detailed facade fit the surrounding neighborhood.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Art Deco","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Listed in very good exterior condition and in use as offices; Permastone planters have been added to the north facade.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.658347-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/86003421.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003421/32f7c58ddc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003421/32f7c58ddc-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Central_Assurance_Company.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Central_Assurance_Company.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"78002063","name":"Columbus Near East Side District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/columbus-near-east-side-district-78002063/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71985064","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Assurance_Company","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104881516"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/franklin-county/central-assurance-company-86003421/"}