Print ArticleImmediately following the Great Fire of 1901, the skyscraper made its way to Jacksonville. Over the decades to follow, the city's tallest building has changed nine times. Here's a look at those buildings.
6. Aetna Building
Year completed: 1955
Height: 309 feet/ 22 stories
Originally known as the Prudential Building, it was constructed in 1955 to serve as Prudentials Southeastern Headquarters. This building was the tallest in city until the Riverplace Tower was built. It was also the tallest in the state until NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building was completed in 1965.
Construction materials included Alabama limestone, North Carolina pink granite and Georgia marble. Originally, it contained a 2-ton piece of the Rock of Gibraltar in its lobby. The building’s structure was impressive, so much so that it was used in some scenes of the famous movie Creature From the Black Lagoon. In 1999, Aetna acquired the Prudential Heath Care Business, changing the name of the structure.
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