With apologies to artist Michael Merchant.

In 1928, St. Louis insurance and bank businessman Edward Mays conceived the idea of housing his two enterprises, the Continental Life Insurance Company and the Grand National Bank, in a single building. He decided not only to construct a building for his companies, but also to make the structure a grand addition to the St. Louis skyline. To design the building, he commissioned local architect William B. Ittner, noted for his numerous school buildings throughout the St. Louis area and in some 25 other states. Itner had previously designed the neo-Classical Masonic Temple a block away from the Continental site.

The building that Mays erected was a 22-story Modernistic masterpiece. Under Mays' direction, Continental Life spared no expense: the lobby was elaborately trimmed and decorated. A bright red aerial beacon glowed from the top of the building, visible for 50 miles on a clear night -- 100 from the air. A decorative metal-framed clock greeted visitors on the street.The three-story penthouse, the Continental's crowning glory, was custom-fitted for Mays with marble fountains and fish tanks, rooftop gardens and dance spaces, and unparalleled views of the city. Midtown's location at the top of a hill made Mays' new home the highest living space in the city. Novel features of the building included an early version of drive-through banking in the rear alley, a fifty-car garage in the basement, and air conditioning, the first such high rise in St. Louis.

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