Frederick Gilbert Bourne, leader of the Singer Company, commissioned the building, which architect Ernest Flagg designed in multiple phases from 1897 to 1908.
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23 Facts About Singer Building
2.
The Singer Building used a steel skeleton, though load-bearing walls initially supported the original structure before modification.
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3.
Singer Building was at the northwest corner of Liberty Street and Broadway in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, abutting the City Investing Building to the north.
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4.
The Singer Building was the world's tallest building at the time of its completion and the world's tallest building to be destroyed upon its demolition.
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5.
From 1906 to 1907, the original Singer Building was extended northward and the Bourne Building was extended westward.
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7.
The original Singer Building was altered between 1906 and 1908 to use a steel skeleton.
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8.
German steel was used in the Singer Building Tower's framing because of Flagg's belief that German workmanship was better than that of Americans.
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9.
The total weight of the Singer Building, including the tower addition, was carried by 54 steel columns atop the concrete foundation piers.
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10.
Singer Building was intended to be fireproof, and the tower section used mostly concrete floors, with wood used in some doors, windows, railings and decorative elements.
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11.
The interior trim in the Singer Building was made of metal painted to resemble wood, including in the doors.
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12.
Singer Building took water from the New York City water supply system, where it was filtered through ammonia coils and then through two filters into two suction tanks.
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13.
Singer Building contained a vacuum steam system, although the ground-floor lobby and the basement vaults were heated by an indirect-steam system.
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14.
Highest publicly accessible point in the Singer Building was 564 feet above the curb, at the lantern balcony.
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15.
The original Singer Building's elevators were in a single group on the southeastern side of the building, while the Bourne Building's elevators were in two pairs opposite each other.
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16.
Singer Building, which manufactured sewing equipment, became the Singer Manufacturing Company in 1865.
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17.
The top story of the Bourne Singer Building would be expanded so that it would cover the same area as the Bourne Singer Building's lower floors.
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18.
Plans for the Bourne and Singer Building extensions were filed in late 1906 and early 1907, respectively.
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19.
The old Singer Building was extended north by 74 feet, the three extra bays on Broadway having the same style as the original two.
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20.
The Singer Building quickly became a symbol of Manhattan with its floodlit tower.
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21.
Sam Roberts later wrote in The New York Times that the Singer Building had been one of the city's notable structures that "weren't considered worth preserving".
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22.
New York Times architectural critic Christopher Gray said in 2005 that the Singer Building's tower resembled "a bulbous mansard and giant lantern".
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23.
Architectural Forum wrote in 1957 that the Singer Building was a "very coherent, virile piece of design".
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