222 Building
| 222 Building | |
|---|---|
 Former Aid Association for Lutherans building on College Avenue. Now known as the 222 Building. | |
 | |
| Alternative names |
|
| Record height | |
| Tallest in Outagamie County, Wisconsin since 1952[I] | |
| Preceded by | Zuelke Building |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Art-Deco |
| Address | 222 West College Avenue |
| Town or city | Appleton |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 44°15′43″N 88°24′30″W / 44.262°N 88.4084°W |
| Completed | 1952 |
| Renovated | 1964-66 |
| Affiliation | Thrivent |
| Height | 183 ft (56 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Brick |
| Floor count | 10 |
| Floor area | 235,000 square feet (21,800 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Maurey Lee Allen |
| Architecture firm |
|
| Main contractor | Boldt Construction |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access |  Valley Transit |
The 222 Building is a 10-story building located in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin. It was built in 1952 for the Aid Association for Lutherans and has been the tallest building in Appleton ever since. It is built in a characteristic Art Deco style.
Background
[edit]Aid Association for Lutherans
[edit]The AAL was founded in 1902 by a group of Luthran church members from Appleton Wisconsin. The group initially operated out of a single home office, but as they expanded, they moved to occupy the Commercial National Bank Building, and then the First National Bank Building.[1]
Insurance Building
[edit]By the 1920s, The AAL had grown enough that it required the construction of its own office building. Design firm Parkinson and Dockendorff were contracted for the design, and construction on the 5-story building, located on the northeast corner of Superior St and College Avenue, began on May 26, 1921. The construction was undertaken by the Wisconsin Engineering and Construction Company at a cost of $370,000. Upon its completion and occupation on March 3, 1923, the building was hailed for its modern amenities, including a cutting-edge elevator system, automatic vacuum cleaning tubes, and a bowling club in the basement. The Association occupied only the 5th floor at the time of the building's construction, but it would slowly expand into the other floors as it needed more office space.[1][2] The company would occupy this building until the completion of the AAL building, at which time it would be leased out until its demolition in 1964.
History
[edit]
By 1950, AAL once again required more office space.[3][4] Construction on the new 10-story building began in 1950, after the Elite Theatre, located on the site adjacent to the Insurance Building, was demolished.[5][6] It was completed in 1952, in conjunction with AAL's 50th anniversary.[7][8] In anticipation for future expansion, the building was constructed in a way that would allow a future renovation that would expand the building westwards after the demolition of the Insurance Building.[9]
This expansion was completed in 1966 to again accommodate the association's growing needs, and AAL remained in the building until 1977, when they relocated to a different campus in Appleton.[10][11]
After the move, AAL continued to lease the space to several tenants, including Johnson Financial Group, ThedaCare, AIA Corp, and The Post-Crescent.[12]
In 2002, AAL merged with the Lutheran Brotherhood of Minneapolis to become Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. After the merger, the building was sold to a group of investors, and its name was changed to the 222 building, based on its address.[13]
In 2023, US Venture announced their purchase of the building, and their plans to renovate it for use as their national headquarters. After renovations are completed and current lease agreements expire, they will occupy all 10 floors.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "The Post-Crescent". Jul 15, 1952. p. 39.
- ^ "The Post-Crescent". Mar 2, 1923. pp. 17–19.
- ^ Kerhin, Brian; Hurley, Scott (2024-08-26). "Tallest building in downtown Appleton added to historic register". WLUK. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ Matzek, Mary Beth (2003-10-20). "Thrivent Financial Finds Buyer for Building in Appleton, Wis". The Post-Crescent. ProQuest 462741747.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has found a buyer for its 10-story College Avenue building. The financial services firm announced this morning that a purchase agreement has been signed for the building at 222 W. College Ave., three nearby parking lots and a downtown warehouse at 532 N. Superior St. As part of the sale agreement, Thrivent is not permitted to identify the buyer or disclose the purchase price, said Cliff Habeck, the company's vice president of real estate.
- ^ "The Post-Crescent". Aug 2, 1950. p. 12.
- ^ "The Post-Crescent". Sep 22, 1950. p. 24.
- ^ Biselx, E. Les (Jul 15, 1952). "The Post-Crescent". p. 23.
- ^ "222 Building". 222 Building. Archived from the original on 2013-11-22. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ^ "The Post-Crescent". Jul 15, 1952. p. 39.
- ^ "Aid Association for Lutherans Building Listed in the State Register of". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2024-09-09. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ Behnke, Duke (September 3, 2024). "Mystery solved: Downtown Appleton chapel continues to exist — at Thrivent". The Post-Crescent.
- ^ "Appleton offers $2.1 million to convince U.S. Venture to move its headquarters from Kimberly". The Post-Crescent. March 19, 2024. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ Behnke, Duke. "222 Building recognized for Art Deco architecture and ties to Aid Association for Lutherans". The Post-Crescent. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ Behnke, Duke. "Cost of U.S. Venture's move to downtown Appleton rises to $75 million to $80 million". The Post-Crescent. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
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