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ERIE INSURANCE
Four
Pillars Pique Community Curiosity
When Erie Insurance expanded its Home Office campus
in 1983, the company engaged in a conscious effort to help
revitalize the city's downtown area. Four pillars now stand in front
of the main entrance to the building as a reminder of this
commitment.
| The Corinthian style, cast iron columns
were originally part of the P.A. Becker Building, which
was located at Sixth and French streets from 1872 to
1981. Philip A. Becker built the original structure for
his wholesale and retail grocery business. In addition
to being a businessman, Becker was a city councilman and
became Erie’s 19th mayor in 1883. |
| The building site on Perry Square was a
thriving business section in the late 1800s, but had
deteriorated almost completely by the 1970s. The last
known use of the P.A. Becker Building was as a local
bar, the Crazy Horse Saloon.
After the restoration, the columns were put in place
to coincide with the grand opening and dedication of the
F.W. Hirt Perry Square Building on April 20, 1983.
Other elements of the Becker building were preserved
and are located in the courtyard, and in the garden area
between the John M. Petersen Center and the F.W. Hirt
Perry Square Building within the Home Office complex.
| Erie Insurance has been
based in downtown Erie, Pa., since its
establishment in 1925. The current Home
Office campus was started in 1956 with the
construction of the Independence
Hall-inspired H. O. Hirt building. Erie
Insurance has continued its commitment to
its home town over the years as it has
grown, currently maintaining 519,000 square
feet of office space in 5 buildings. |
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