National Historic Landmark-North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company Building

Built in 1921, this building was the second home office of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, which was founded in 1898.

This company evolved out of a tradition of mutual benefit societies and fraternal organizations which by the 20th century had become the most important social institutions in Afro-American life, with the exception of the church.

From the beginning, the Mutual symbolized racial progress and is an institutional legacy of the ideas of racial solidarity and self-help.

Courtesy National Park Service National Historic Landmarks