Tower Building (New York City) facts for kids

The Tower Building was a famous building in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City. It was located at 50-52 Broadway and stretched back to New Street. Many people consider it to be New York City's very first skyscraper. It was also the first building to use a full steel skeleton structure. Architect Bradford Gilbert designed it, and construction plans were filed on April 17, 1888. The building was finished on September 27, 1889, and was taken down starting in 1913.

Entrance to the Tower Building

Building a Skyscraper: The Tower Building's Design

The Tower Building was quite deep, about 108 feet (33 meters), but it had a very narrow front on Broadway, only 21.5 feet (6.6 meters) wide. This narrow space meant the building needed a special design.

Why a New Design Was Needed

Normally, old buildings used thick, heavy walls to hold up the floors above. This is called "load-bearing masonry." But if the Tower Building had used this method on its narrow lot, there wouldn't have been much space left inside, especially on the ground floor.

How the Steel Skeleton Changed Building

The Home Insurance Building in Chicago, finished in 1884, was the first to use some structural steel. However, it didn't fully support its brick walls with the steel frame. Architect Bradford Gilbert had a clever idea for the Tower Building. He wondered, "Why can't I run my foundation far up in the air and then begin my building?"

Gilbert's idea came from looking at a railroad bridge turned on its end. Instead of thick walls, he used strong cast iron columns, about 20 feet (6.1 meters) apart, to create a skeleton. The walls of each floor then hung from a special "shoe" on this skeleton. This meant the walls didn't need to carry the weight of the floors above them. This new way of building made the structure 128 feet (39 meters) tall and 11 stories high.

Getting Approval for a New Idea

Building something so new and different was a big deal. Gilbert had to make models of his design to show the city officials and convince them it was safe to build. His unusual design was approved, and soon after, even taller steel-skeleton buildings like the Columbia Building (built in 1890) started to appear in New York.

The Tower Building shortly after it was finished

The Tower Building's Later Years

The Tower Building was sold in 1905, along with two buildings next to it, for about $1.5 million. Later, in 1909, a company called Morris Building Company bought it for $1.68 million. This company was connected to Standard Oil Company.

Why the Building Was Taken Down

By 1913, the Tower Building was not making enough money because it didn't have many tenants (people or businesses renting space). It was emptied in December of that year, and workers began to take it down. The demolition was finished in 1914. At that time, the tallest building in New York was the Woolworth Building, which stood at 792 feet (241 meters) tall. This was much taller than the Tower Building, showing how quickly skyscraper technology had advanced.

The Tower Building shortly before it was taken down

In Spanish: Tower Building (Nueva York) para niños