-
Trinity Church (1846-1853, 1856-1890)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/trinity-church.jpgCompleted in 1846, the current Trinity Church is the third church to stand at its Lower Manhattan site since the late 17th century. Considered a Gothic Revival masterpiece, it is still active to this day. Its cemetery includes the graves of Alexander Hamilton, William Bradford and other influential figures. (Credit: Gryffindor/Wikimedia Commons)
la
-
Latting Observatory (1853-1856)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/latling-observatory.jpgFor a brief three-year period, the Latting Observatory eclipsed Trinity Church as New York’s tallest structure. Located near what is now Bryant Park, the wooden tower featured steam-powered elevators that ferried visitors to three landings, where telescopes offered views of Queens, Staten Island and New Jersey. The observatory burned down in 1856.
la
-
World Building (1890-1894)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/world-building.jpgJoseph Pulitzer, publisher of The New York World, commissioned this downtown skyscraper to house his newspaper’s offices. It was demolished in 1955 to make room for the Brooklyn Bridge’s expanded car ramp entrance.
la
-
Manhattan Life Insurance Building (1894-1899)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/manhattan-life-insurance-building.jpgAfter holding a competition for the design of its new headquarters, the Manhattan Life Insurance Company hired architectural firm Kimball and Thompson in 1892. Ahead of its time from an engineering perspective, the skyscraper was demolished in 1965 to make way for the Bank of New York Building.
la
-
Park Row Building (1899-1908)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/park-row-building.jpgDesigned by architect R.H. Robertson, the Park Row Building is one of the few remaining traces of New York’s Newspaper Row, a newspaper publishing hub from the 1840s to the 1920s. It features twin cupola-topped towers and an elaborate façade.
la
-
Singer Building (1908-1909)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/singer-building.jpgWith 47 stories of office space, this Beaux-Arts building contained the headquarters of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Despite efforts by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to save the iconic structure, it was demolished in 1986. It remains the tallest building in history to be destroyed under peaceful circumstances.
la
-
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower (1909-1913)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/metropolitan-life-insurance-company-tower.jpgAn addition to the original Metropolitan Life Insurance headquarters, this tower was modeled after the Campanile in Venice. Known for its iconic clock faces, it is now being converted into a hotel. (Credit: Beyond My Ken/Wikimedia Commons)
la
-
Woolworth Building (1913-1930)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/woolworth-building.jpgTowering 60 stories and 792 feet above Broadway in downtown Manhattan, the Woolworth Building remains a cherished part of the New York City skyline. It was financed in cash by the five-and-dime millionaire Frank W. Woolworth and designed by architect Cass Gilbert. (Credit: Chris Hondros/Newsmakers/Getty Images)
la
-
Bank of Manhattan Trust Building (1930)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bank-of-manhattan-trust-building.jpgNow officially known as the Trump Building, the skyscraper at 40 Wall Street was built in just 11 months to accommodate the Bank of Manhattan’s headquarters. It remained New York’s (and the world’s) tallest building for less than a year, falling behind once the Chrysler Building was completed. (Credit: Gryffindor/Wikimedia Commons)
la
-
Chrysler Building (1930-1931)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/chrysler-building.jpgLocated at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, the Chrysler Building is considered a stunning example of Art Deco architecture. Known for its terraced crown, the skyscraper was quickly surpassed by the Empire State Building as New York’s tallest building. (Credit: Nina Leen/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)
la
-
Empire State Building (1931-1972, 2001-2012)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/empire-state-building.jpgReportedly based on the look of a pencil, the massive Empire State Building went up in just over a year and employed thousands of people at the height of the Great Depression. It remains a symbol of New York City and one of the Big Apple’s most visited tourist attractions. (Credit: Corbis)
la
-
World Trade Center (1972-2001)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/one-world-trade-center.jpgThe Twin Towers stood at 110 stories each, accommodating 50,000 workers and 200,000 daily visitors in 10 million square feet of space. They were the hub of the bustling Financial District until a massive terrorist attack felled them on September 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people. (Credit: Corbis)
la
-
Freedom Tower (2012-)
http://www.history.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/freedom-tower.jpgShortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, New York City leaders and groups pledged to rebuild the World Trade Center site. The cornerstone of the site’s largest building, known as the Freedom Tower (or 1 World Trade Center), was laid in 2004. Upon completion it will stand more than 300 feet taller than the Empire State Building, which it is already poised to surpass as New York’s highest skyscraper. (Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
la
