COLUMBUS, Ohio — It has been 50 years since the Rhodes State Office Tower, the tallest building in Columbus, opened its doors.
The construction of the 41-story, 1.2 million square feet building began in 1971 and wrapped up in 1974. It would eventually become the state office building, housing the offices of the Ohio Attorney General, the State Treasurer's Office and boards and commissions.
State leaders decided in 1969 to consolidate state offices and departments into one building and give more space to the legislative offices in the statehouse. It originally was called the State Office Building, but was later renamed in 1979 in honor of Ohio's longest-serving governor James A. Rhodes.
Videos retrieved from the 10TV archive show construction workers on top of the metal framing of the building, working as cranes hoist up more material.
This month, the Rhodes Tower is celebrating its anniversary with a photo exhibit on display in the lobby. The exhibit shows photos of the Columbus skyline and images and videos from the construction of the tower.
Members of the public can pay a visit to the building's 40th floor to view downtown Columbus from up high. If interested, stop by the front desk of the lobby for a security and ID check between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
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