Nooter Corporation Building Listed in National Register of Historic Places
Nooter Corporation Building. Photograph by Michael R. Allen. |
June 6, 2008
The work of Landmarks Association led to the listing on May 16 of the landmark Nooter Corporation Building at 1400 S. Third Street in the city's Kosciusko district. Built in 1959 and designed by Sverdrup & Parcel, the two-story office building housed worldwide metal fabricating giant Nooter during the company's most productive period of inventing new fabrication techniques.
Following World War II, the Nooter Corporation entered into a rapid period of growth through involvement as a supplier and erector of process vessels to the emergent nuclear power industry as well as the established chemical, petroleum, food and defense industries. Nooter embarked on a major expansion of its plant in 1947 and by 1957 the corporation decided to build a new corporate headquarters suitable for its prominence. In 1959, administrative and engineering offices moved to the building. From this office, engineers devised plans for the construction of a reactor vessel for the world's first atomic energy plant and the world's first use of titanium, tantalum and zirconium in reactive vessel construction. From 1964 through 1972, Nooter successfully applied for 13 patents, marking a major period of invention for the company.
A Nooter engineer tests a custom process vessel circa 1963. |
Nooter subsequently enlarged its adjacent manufacturing facilities between 1961 and 1972, adding jobs and specialty shops. However, the company left the plant and office building in 2003. Kirberg Roofing is rehabilitating the Nooter Corporation Office Building as its headquarters.
The nomination written by Assistant Director Michael Allen furthers Landmarks' ongoing work in identifying significant buildings of the mid-century Modern period. Since the building was constructed less than fifty years ago, the National Register required proof of exceptional significance. Nooter's patent boom provided the evidence.