Opening 1928 Roof 255-foot (78 m) Developer James Graham Brown Opened 1928 Destruction date 16 January 1994 | Demolished January 16, 1994 Floor count 21 Height 78 m Floors 21 Status Building implosion | |
Location Fourth St and Broadway
Downtown Louisville Similar PNC Plaza, National City Tower, 400 West Market, Humana Building, The 800 Apartments | ||
The Commonwealth Building was a 21-story, 255-foot (78 m) building in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky located on the northwestern corner of Fourth Street and Broadway.
The Commonwealth Building was built by James Graham Brown across Fourth Street from the Brown Hotel in 1928 and originally named after his late brother, Martin Brown. In 1955, a 17-story vertical addition was constructed which took the title of Louisville's tallest building away from the Heyburn Building, diagonally across Fourth and Broadway. The building featured a light beacon on its roof for a short time until being turned off due to complaints by residents in Floyds Knobs, Indiana.
The owner of the building, Commonwealth Life Insurance Company, created Capital Holding Corporation in 1969 and, as the company grew, decided to build a new headquarters building on the southwest corner of Fourth and Market named Capital Holding Center to reflect the company's business interests outside of life insurance. Once Commonwealth Life Insurance Company and Capital Holding relocated to their new headquarters, the Commonwealth Building was imploded on January 16, 1994. A low rise office building and open space now occupy the building's former site.