{"nrhp_refnum":"99000755","name":"Griest, W.W., Building","other_names":["Lancaster Federal Building","PP and L Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"8 N. Queen St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lancaster","county":"Lancaster County","state":"PA","lat":40.03825465700004,"lon":-76.30635729399995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1999-06-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A fourteen-story steel-frame office building at the northwest corner of Penn Square in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, designed by C. Emlen Urban and constructed in 1924-1925. It is the city's only skyscraper and is clad mainly in Indiana limestone with a granite base and terra cotta upper floors.","why_significant":"The building is regarded as Lancaster's preeminent building and is linked to the city's modernization during the early twentieth century. The nomination argues its preserved exterior, sculpted classical details and Italian Renaissance Revival design make it architect C. Emlen Urban's most mature work. It is presented as the culmination of his career in applying historical styles to modern building types.","narrative":"Fourteen stories tall and built of steel frame with Indiana limestone cladding, the Griest Building rises at the northwest corner of Penn Square in Lancaster. Construction took place in 1924 and 1925, with demolition of the earlier Hirsh Building starting in April 1924 and the building dedicated on September 22, 1925. Architect C. Emlen Urban designed it in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, using two-story Corinthian pilasters, arched ground-floor windows, and sculpted panels. The building is regarded as Lancaster's only skyscraper and its most visually prominent landmark. It is important for its exterior design, which is considered the culmination of Urban's career. Its classical details and craftsmanship are seen as unmatched in the city. Its construction marked the city's commercial growth during the 1920s. The building was built for the Conestoga Traction Company, the Edison Electric Company, and the Lancaster Gas Light and Fuel Company, and was named for utility head William Walton Griest.","period_of_significance":"1924-1925","architect_builder":"C. Emlen Urban (architect)","architectural_style":"Italian Renaissance Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"The exterior is described as in excellent condition and the interior as significantly altered; a 1976 rooftop tower is the most significant exterior alteration.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:37.718236-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/99000755.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99000755/f93ad6275a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99000755/f93ad6275a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Scanlan at en.wikipedia","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greist_Building.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Scanlan at en.wikipedia</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greist_Building.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"01000956","name":"Lancaster City Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/lancaster-city-historic-district-01000956/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71996067","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._W._Griest_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7946040"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/lancaster-county/griest-w-w-building-99000755/"}