| Main Building | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Completed | 1892 |
| Demolished | 1956 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 45.73 m (150.0 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 11 |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | Hedden Construction Company |
| Architect | George B. Post |
| References | |
| [1][2] | |
| Gibraltar Building | |
|---|---|
| Gibraltor Building - Newark - Halsey Street.jpg | |
| General information | |
| Completed | 1927 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 67 m (220 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 14 |
| Floor area | 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Cass Gilbert |
| References | |
| [3][4][5] | |
| Prudential Building | |
|---|---|
| Prudential Building - Newark -.jpg | |
| General information | |
| Completed | 1942 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 91 m (299 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 21 |
| Design and construction | |
| Structural engineer | Gunvald Aus Company |
| References | |
| [6][7] | |
| Prudential Plaza | |
|---|---|
| Prudential Plaza - Newark - Four Corners.jpg | |
| General information | |
| Completed | 1956 |
| Opening | 1960 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 114 m (374 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 24 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Voorhees, Walker, Smith, Smith and Haines |
| References | |
| [8][9] | |
Prudential Financial, as it is known today, began as The Widows and Orphans Friendly Society in 1875. For a short was called the Prudential Friendly Society, and for many years after 1877 was the Prudential Insurance Company of America,[10] a name still widely in use. Based in Newark, New Jersey, the company has constructed a number of buildings to house its headquarters downtown in the Four Corners district.[11] In addition to its own offices, the corporation has financed large projects in the city, including Gateway Center and Prudential Center.
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The original Prudential buildings from the turn of the century were early examples of steel framing in Newark, clad in gray Indiana limestone with Romanesque Gothic styling. The four buildings were known as the Main, the North, the West, and the Northwest and were the tallest in the city at the turn of the century. They were demolished in 1956 to make way for the current headquarters. The proposed 45 story Prudential Tower would have been one of the tallest in Newark had it been built. [12]
The Gibraltar Building, headquarters for the financial services company until 1986, is situated between two other office towers later built for the firm, all of which are connected by underground passage[13] The name is inspired by the company's logo, the Rock of Gibraltar. The Gothic Revival structure was designed by the architect Cass Gilbert, renowned for many works including the Woolworth Building and the United States Supreme Court Building. Gilbert was also architect for the Kinney Building at the southeast corner of Broad and Market Streets.[14] Sold in 1987 and later renovated and restored, it now is home the Superior Court of New Jersey's Essex County Vicinage Family Court, Chancery, and Tax Court, as well as other government agencies and private enterprises.[5][15] [16]
Shortly after Prudential Building was completed in 1942, it was taken over by the federal government for use by the Office of Dependency Benefits (ODB), which was moved to Newark from Washington during World War II. The ODB was responsible for payments to military dependents and their families. Work went on round the clock at 213 Washington Street until it was returned to Prudential in 1946.
Prudential's current headquarters, the Prudential Plaza, opened in 1960 during the New Newark era when modernist buildings were built downtown. The International style building is one the tallest and most prominent on the Newark skyline. The facade of Vermont marble includes 1600 windows set in aluminum frames. On August 1, 2004, the U.S. Office of Homeland Security announced the discovery of terrorist threats against the Plaza prompting large-scale security measures such as concrete barriers and internal security changes such as X-ray machines.[17]