The beginning of the twentieth century, a one-of-a-kind tower
rose above the skyline of New York City, a total masterpiece
of architecture and engineering unlike anything seen before.
Some even when as far as comparing this great property
to the Egyptian pyramids, not only would this be the tallest
building in the world but it would also exhibit futuristic
technology. So, why might you ask? Is this a tale of urban
decay? Well, because the marvel was demolished in 1968 and
replaced by a total monstrosity and despite photographs of its
greatness, the legacy has been nearly forgotten. This is the
story of Singer Tower. I'm your host Ryan Socash and you're
watching It's History.
Have a look at New York City's North River in sixteen
seventy-nine. This is the first known graphic documentation of
the area and if we focus on the lots, we'll see a pasture that
belonged to John Haberting which was sold in 1722 for only
$600 but beyond it, off in the horizon, you'll notice a
massive cross. This is the exact location where the
world's tallest building would be erected over 200 years
later. At the turn of The Singer Manufacturing Company
needed to expand their Manhattan office to accommodate
a rapidly growing workforce. In the process, this American
manufacturer of sewing machines was also going to make a big
gesture. Located in the financial district on the
corner of Liberty Street in Broadway in Lower Manhattan.
Land values had reached a phenomenal high. So, a trend to
build into the sky was mounting. Hence, Frederick
Gilbert Bourne, an American businessman and the fifth
President of the Singer manufacturing company between
1889 and 1905 commissioned the construction of his new tower
with earnest flag as head architect and designer. On
September the nineteenth nineteen oh six, the work began
by running a steam line from the old building for the
operation of air compressors needed for the sinking of
foundation caseons. Cranes with seventy-five foot masks and a
capacity forty tons were also set up. This project will
difficult from the start as the building foundation went far
below the water line. Men were required to work in pressurized
environments which was a new and very dangerous technology.
Another extreme difficulty was the lack of space as the
construction site was on one of the most congested parts of the
city. At street level, the crew had less than 100 feet of space
to work within. So a solution to have a constant two-truck
rotation of material coming in or waste going out as well as
having parts pre-assembled off site when possible. These
measures helped synergize the operation. One of the more
complicated shipments was for the ribs of the dome which were
awkwardly shaped and rose to great heights. The sheer amount
of material was amazing. For example, the brick face
required delivery of over 5 million bricks so people below
watched with great curiosity. The concept for the building
incorporated parts of Bozart and second empire style. No
expense was spared in providing every modern device for comfort
and convenience and the safety of the tenants. What's more,
the design called for the tower to be set far back from street
line so that the executive offices on the thirty-third
through fortieth floor would have nearly zero noise
pollution or dust. Not to mention, a magnificent view.
The technological amenities went far beyond luxurious and
were controlled below ground in the engineering room by a
massive staff. The building was so complex that it basically
required an operation comparable to that of a ship
crew to run what was one of the most complex engineering rooms
in the city. For starters, the engine room contained the
building's very own power plant. Providing current to
nearly 4,000 outlets and grand lobby lighting set to offer a
daylight effect at night. Furthermore, the exterior was
illuminated by 3018 inch projectors designed by
electric. The power plant consisted of five units with
the capacity of 1.4000 kilowatts. Another room was
solely dedicated to the disposal of paper waste with
the use of a gigantic press. Paper could be disposed of to
this point by various shoots throughout the tower. There
were also vacuum pumps to power the centralized vacuum system
with outlets in each office. Although this was not the first
time such a system was installed. The Singer Building
had vacuum service 24/7 which was unique. Obviously, the
entire building was outfitted with central heat so the
furnace chambers were sprawling. Every suit had its
own thermostat so that tenants could adjust the temperature as
needed. 1.2000 in total. However, this part of luxury
probably came at a serious environmental cost from today's
perspective as heating the building when the temperature
was below zero consumed two tons of per hour. Now, take it
off topic here but if this was just the coal required for the
heating, imagine how much the power plant might have consumed
and now, imagine that every other building in the city was
also burning solids. But don't worry because these numbers are
only alarming from today's perspective. In nineteen oh
eight, when the building was finished, it was considered to
be highly efficient and environmentally friendly and
the news only gets better because if you were to be
inside of the Singer Tower, you were breathing centralized
filtered air. The air quality was also taken care of by the
engineers. For starters, all toilets were ventilated into
shafts by means of electric fans. So-called room air was
washed, cleansed, and humidified in the building's
spray chambers and eliminator. Basically, air would pass
through four sheets of water to remove dust and in the summer
time create a cooling effect. Moving on, there was a
refrigeration plan for the cooling of drinking water used
throughout the building. Sinks were fitted with push-button
taps delivering a choice of hot, cold, and icy water. But
not before running through a filtration plant to ensure the
best quality. Water pressure was also an issue as the
building soared to never before seen heights. This was solved
by massive pumps that sent water up to various holding
tanks harnessing gravity to do the rest. There was also an
entire secondary system of pumps and tanks for the New
York City Fire Department. In total, there were about 750
plumbing fixtures and when looking at this chart, you'll
notice that the water works go practically up to the lantern.
Speaking of the lantern, this is probably my favorite feature
of the building. Let's start with the flagpole that extended
sixty-two feet above the lantern beneath it which would
have been 612 feet above Broadway And because architects
realized that it would be taking frequent lightning hits,
they utilized a quality iron as opposed to a custom air wooden
mass. The pole sink into the lower floor of the lantern and
was extremely difficult to erect requiring immaculate
precision. The lantern itself was deceptive as it seemed
small from street level. An illusion of scale. In reality
this part of the tower alone would have been the size of a
five story building. To reach the lantern, you would have
taken elevator number six to the fortieth floor and from
there, follow a path of ladders and steep open stairs before
reaching the highest attic in the world. You would have then
opened a small trap door and found yourself on a small
platform 600 feet above New York City. This was the place
where the singer flag would be raised and lowered. Below the
lantern was the dome with an observation deck and executive
suites. According to records, this was the most dangerous
aspect of construction as the job involved mystifying
heights, steep angles, and no footholds. There was also the
risk of simply being blown away by a gust of wind. Furthermore,
this part of the building was extra distinguished by the
masonry cut stonework which included over 4 million pounds
of limestone above the thirty-third floor. Obviously,
this was also an impractical height for such a heavy
material. This part of the tower is where the observation
deck was located and where the company directors enjoyed the
entire thirty-fourth floor furnished with mahogany
furniture. The electric clock system was also a feed of
engineering known as the magneta electric clock system.
A series of batteries and contact points controlled time
throughout the entire building as governed by one master clock
which wound itself automatically. The master clock
kept time for all other clocks with an independent network of
wires which were fully insulated by a heavy rubber to
avoid interference to the time keeping by other currents. The
engineering room contained a massive telephone switchboard
which allowed for calls to be placed outside the building as
well as internally. The internal network could even
access the towers bank of high-speed elevators. The Otis
electric company had set up its elevator plant on the fortieth
floor Enabling visitors to reach amazing heights on a
single ride. The car capacity was 2,500 pounds at 600 feet
per minute with a freight capacity of 5,000 pounds but at
a much slower speed. The elevator cars had safety locks
for loading and unloading as well as safety mechanisms to
prevent free fall. These elevators were high tech
running on a system using electric light signals. The
chief engineer had an indicator board displaying the given
location of all cars at any given time. Visitors were also
amazed by the new technology of automatic doors. Sadly, in the
building's first few months, the elevators were involved in
at least two deaths. A painter was decapitated while a
plumber's assistant was crushed between the elevator cab and a
shaft. The singer building also had a massive vault setting
records for the time. The tower was officially completed in
1908 and oh to the public surpassing Philadelphia City
Hall building in terms of being the tallest building in the
world. The building soon became a symbol of Manhattan
especially at night when the floodlet tower stood out. It
remained the tallest building in the world until the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower was completed a
year later. Located at 24th street in Madison Avenue also
in New York City. Lucky for them, their masterpiece still
stands. By not the hype had cooled down and the first signs
that the singer flag might not fly above New York City forever
appeared when the building was listed for sale at 10 million
dollars. 4 years later, a deal with utility power and light
corporation was made for the acquisition of the property.
Although an agreement involving an 8.5000000 dollar cash
transaction was made. The sale never actually finalized
according to company records. However, the seed was planted
and the following years would gradually see decisions that I
could best describe as degenerate with regards to the
artistry of Singer Tower. The lighting system went through
many changes and the building began to fade into the skyline
of New York, no longer appearing in its nearly
arrogant glory. In nineteen thirty-nine, the copper
ornamental dome of the tower was restored but the detriment
of the tower's appearance as elements began to be changed.
In nineteen forty-seven, the flagpole and the roof crestings
were removed and the famous face of the building so loved
by many New Yorkers was slowly becoming a bastardized version
of itself. In nineteen forty-nine, there was an
electric fire that left one person injured and in nineteen
fifty-eight, the front revolving doors were replaced
by standard ones. At the next year, the historic and
beautiful elevators were replaced to comply with new
codes. Two large storefronts on the first floor of the building
were turned into many smaller spaces. Other skyscrapers
surpassed the Singer Building in height and the tower entered
obscurity. By nineteen fifty-eight, it was the
sixteenth tallest building in the city. Just 50 years after
it had been built, it was barely noteworthy. In nineteen
sixty-one, the company announced that it was moving to
Rockefeller Center and that the building was to be sold but for
real this time. Lake Coven Rose bought the building and then
sold it to Financial Plaza Incorporated almost right away
according to property records. William Zachendorf, a real
estate developer, bought the building and unsuccessfully
tried to move the New York Stock Exchange there but the
final nail in the coffin occurred in nineteen
sixty-four. When United States Steel bought the building and
other neighboring buildings in an attempt to demolish the
entire block and build a fifty-four story tall
headquarters. A decision that probably came down to square
footage. In nineteen sixty-five, the New York City
Landmarks Preservation Commission was created and
their goal was to save and preserve many of the notable
buildings in New York City that were being demolished. The
Singer Building was one of the most iconic buildings in the
city at one point but despite that, it was not given landmark
status. This meant that the commission could not protect it
from demolition. Sam Roberts, an New York Times writer was
quoted in saying that it wasn't considered worth preserving.
Compared to other buildings in the city, the executive
commissioner said, had it been given landmark status, the city
would have had to find someone to buy it which would have
proven a great challenge. Although, I'm only speculating
right now, it could be assumed that the maintenance expense of
complex masonry work far above public sidewalks would have
been spectacularly pricey to upkeep in my day and
spectacularly dangerous if neglected. When it comes down
to it, there were other buildings more worthy of saving
in many people's eyes. So demolition began in September
of 1967 and was completed by early nineteen sixty-nine. A
writer for the New York Times said that the lobby looked like
a bomb hit it. Another writer from the New York Daily
commented that the singer fell victim to a melody called
Prague it was true. Despite how magnificent it was in its
heyday, the building would soon just become another small piece
of the city that was rapidly growing throughout the
twentieth century. The Singer Building was the tallest
building to ever be demolished until the World Trade Center
collapsed during the 911 attacks and it was the tallest
building to be destroyed by its owners until 270 Park Avenue
also known as JP Morgan Chase Tower was demolished in 2,000
nineteen. What is now known as One Liberty Plaza but was
originally called the US steel building now stands in its
place. Each building of the plaza is 37 thousand square
feet which is much bigger than the 4,200 square feet of the
Singer Tower offering twice the combined interior than the
Singer Building did. The Singer Building was influential in
many ways and cause people to discuss the ethics of building
such tall structures. The architect on the project Ernest
Flagg was known for being critical of many skyscrapers
that already existed. He was an advocate for skyscraper reform
and tried to convince the public that many tall
skyscrapers blocked from reaching the surrounding
streets and that it was a detriment to society so we
might take away that the artistry in his great building
was a compromise to a concept he was generally against.
Imagine how he must be turning in his grave at the thought of
what replaced his greatest work. On the other hand, Jason
Barr, an architectural writer, has commented that the singer
building was a transitional builder in terms of the
development of skyscraper It was known for being an
architectural triumph and showed the world the potential
of steel-frame skyscrapers. It is a building that inspired the
future of buildings to come. Some were actually happy to see
the building go. A writer from the New York Globe called it an
architectural giraffe in the early nineteen hundreds.
Finally, and perhaps one of the best justifications for a
wrecking ball was that some critics of the project had no
the design would have made it very hard for people to be
rescued from the tallest floors in the case of a fire or an
emergency. The executives of the Singer Corporation could
see the Statue of Liberty and the Port of New York from their
office. Traders from all over the world would see their
iconic building as they arrived to the shores of America. From
an American perspective, we had a feeling of how big this
company was in its day by the statements that they made but
even when you travel the world now, 100 years later, their
mark is noticeable everywhere. I learned about Singer Tower
because I found a Singer sewing machine in a barn near the
border of Ukraine. Of all places, this machine was one of
the things that immigrants had taken back to their village
after years of working in the States. Singer was such a
significant company that wherever you travel in Europe
and I believe many places in the United States, you'll come
across their legacy. Hell, I am in a water tower in
Northeastern Poland. What did I find?
Architect Ernest Flagg said, a thing of beauty is a joy
forever. More artistic conception than this tower
would be hard to conceive. And it is doubtful if an equally
magnificent tower will ever be built unless it is literally a
copy of the Singer Building. A statement I couldn't agree more
with. This script was largely based on Otto Francis' 1908
book, A History of the Singer Building Construction
containing far more information on Singer Tower. I would love
to further bring life to the memory of this great building
by preparing an audiobook version of the publication here
on its history. So, let me know if you like the idea by
subscribing and sharing this video with friends. If we get
1,000 new subscribers, I will painstakingly record every word
of a technical book from nineteen oh eight. Otherwise,
check out our video on the Philadelphia Underground
Concourses, our series Tao of Urban Decay and Our Daily
Stories. This is Ryan Socash, signing off.