Equitable Life Building (Manhattan)
| Equitable Life Assurance Building | |
|---|---|
_pg677_THE_EQUITABLE_LIFE-ASSURANCE_SOCIETY_OF_THE_UNITED_STATES._BROADWAY,_BETWEEN_PINE_AND_CEDAR_STREETS.jpg) circa 1890 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Location | 120 Broadway New York City United States |
| Coordinates | 40°42′30″N 74°00′40″W / 40.7084°N 74.011°W |
| Construction started | 1868 |
| Completed | May 1, 1870 |
| Destroyed | January 9, 1912 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 40 m (130 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 7 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Arthur Gilman Edward H. Kendall |
| Structural engineer | George B. Post |
| References | |
| [1] | |
The Equitable Life Assurance Building was the headquarters of The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Construction was completed on May 1, 1870, at 120 Broadway in Manhattan, New York City, and under the leadership of Henry Baldwin Hyde was the first office building to feature passenger elevators.[2] At a record 130 feet (40 m), it is considered by some as the world's first skyscraper.[3][4] The architects were Arthur Gilman and Edward H. Kendall, with George B. Post as a consulting engineer; hydraulic elevators made by the Elisha Otis company.
Destroyed by fire
The building, described as fireproof, was destroyed by a massive fire on January 9, 1912.[5] Extremely cold weather caused the water from the fire trucks to freeze on the building. Six people died.[6][7]
New building
The present Equitable Building was completed in 1915 on the same plot, and was designed by Ernest R. Graham & Associates. The massive bulk of the newer building was a major impetus behind the city's 1916 Zoning Resolution.[8]
References
- ^ "Equitable Life Building". SkyscraperPage.
- ^ Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States (November 1901). "The Elevator Did It". The Equitable News: An Agents' Journal (23): 11. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
- ^ Gordon Fulton (2010). "Skyscrapers: Chase for the Clouds". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
- ^ "The Origins of the Commonplace & Curious in America: Skyscrapers". Magical Hystory Tour. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "The Burning of the Equitable Building in New York City". Engineering News. 67: 119–120. January 18, 1912. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ^ Dunlap, David W. (January 8, 2012). "Consumed in Fire, Cloaked in Ice, Equitable's Headquarters Fell 100 Years Ago". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ "Heroes of Ground Zero. FDNY A History". PBS WNET. 2002. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
- ^ Equitable Building, New York City (1915) at Emporis
External links
- Equitable Building (1915) at the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
- Equitable Building (1915) at A View on Cities
- 100 Years Ago - The Equitable Building Fire from the Museum of the City of New York Collections blog
- Equitable building : destroyed by fire January 9th, 1912.—pamphlet about the fire, published in 1912 and available on Archive.org.