Opened 1924 | ||
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Similar Asheville City Hall, Smith‑McDowell House, Thomas Wolfe House, Basilica of St Lawrence, Zebulon B Vance Birthplace | ||
The Jackson Building is a 140 ft (43m) 15-story building in Asheville, North Carolina which was completed in 1924 in Pack Square downtown. It was the first skyscraper in western North Carolina.
History
The site chosen by developer L. B. Jackson was previously that of the tombstone business operated by Thomas Wolfe's father. Jackson hired architect Ronald Greene. Jackson built the city's first skyscraper because he believed in Asheville's real estate market.
The Neo-Gothic building was fully occupied when it opened in 1924. The observation tower had a 400x telescope and an 18 million candlepower searchlight intended to attract tourists.The grotesques on each corner are not functional, there are small holes in the mouths to let water escape and not freeze in the terracotta. Next to the Jackson Building was the 8-story Westall Building, also designed by Greene which was not large enough for its own elevator. For this reason, the two buildings have the same elevator system.
The Jackson Building is ranked number 7 among the top 10 tourist attractions in North Carolina.
