Tech Tower

Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building
Exterior in 2004
Map
Former namesAdministration Building
Academic Building
General information
Architectural styleVictorian and Romanesque Revival
LocationAtlanta, Georgia, United States
Address225 North Avenue NW
Coordinates33°46′20.6″N 84°23′41.0″W / 33.772389°N 84.394722°W / 33.772389; -84.394722
Current tenantsAdministration
Construction startedJune 1887
CompletedSeptember 1888
OwnerGeorgia Institute of Technology
Dimensions
Other dimensions130 ft (40 m) wide
120 feet deep
Technical details
Floor count4 (main complex)
7 (tower)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Bruce & Morgan
Main contractorAngus McGilvray
Tech Tower
Part ofGeorgia Institute of Technology Historic District (ID78000983)
Added to NRHPOctober 25, 1978

The Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building, commonly known as Tech Tower, is a historic building and focal point of the central campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

Located at 225 North Avenue NW in Midtown Atlanta, it was erected in 1888 as the Academic Building, with classrooms to complement the hands-on training in the adjacent shop building. It was the second edifice completed on the Georgia Tech campus and it is the oldest surviving one.[1][2]

Tech Tower has achieved local, cultural, and historical significance. Monuments and plaques commemorating philanthropy towards Georgia Tech adorn the building and surrounding landscape. The red brick, Victorian-style building is the architectural anchor of the Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District,[3] a landmark of tradition and school spirit,[4][5] and the present-day administrative hub of the Institute. It has been the site of many ceremonies and important events, including a visit by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and its dedication in honor of Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans, "Tech's greatest benefactor."[6]

Lighted signs spelling TECH hang on each of the four sides of the seven-story central tower, dominating the building's facade and visible from many parts of the Georgia Tech campus and surrounding area. Georgia Tech students have several times stolen the letter 'T' from one of these signs, a prank once tolerated but now strictly forbidden.[7]

  1. ^ Holcombe, John. "TowerWeb: Historic Images and Information about the Georgia Tech Towers". Georgia Tech Capital Planning and Space Management. Archived from the original on May 18, 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2007.
  2. ^ Guertin, Karl (February 13, 2004). "Tech's moniker reveals its true history". The Technique. Vol. 89, no. 23. p. 8. hdl:1853/7750. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  3. ^ "Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District". National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
  4. ^ "Tech Tower". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on October 3, 2006. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
  5. ^ "Use the tower". The Technique. February 9, 1996. Archived from the original on February 18, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2007.
  6. ^ Roberts, Allison (February 20, 1998). "Administration Building to be renamed after Tech benefactor". The Technique. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
  7. ^ Shaw, Jody (August 24, 2001). "Presidential opinions change over time". The Technique. Vol. 87, no. 5. p. 10. hdl:1853/7841. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2009.