Wells Fargo Center, Modern skyscraper in downtown Jacksonville, United States
1 Independent Square is a 37-floor, 535-foot (163 m) tower at the southeast corner of Bay and Laura streets in downtown Jacksonville. Its sloping base and large corner frames were designed by KBJ Architects to serve as a city landmark. The building fills an entire city block and has a four-story atrium of tropical vegetation at its public entrance.
The Independent Life and Accident Insurance Company commissioned this building in 1974 and originally named it the Independent Life Building. The later name change to Wells Fargo Center marked a shift in the building's use and management.
The River Club on the upper floors reflects how corporate Jacksonville has changed over time, as it once restricted membership by gender. These spaces show how social attitudes shifted within the business community.
The tower fills an entire city block at the southeast corner of Bay and Laura streets, northwest of the Main Street Bridge and north of the St. Johns River. The public entrance opens into the four-story planted atrium. The River Club on the top two floors is a private club, not open to visitors.
The River Club, a private business club on the top two floors, began in 1954 as the Jacksonville Businessmen's Club, modeled on similar clubs in New York, Chicago and Washington. It moved into this tower in 1976 and did not admit women members until 1985; Gate Petroleum has owned it since 2003.
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