Construction started on May 1st 1884 in Chicago on a radical new building — destined to be America’s first skyscraper. It was the Home Insurance Company headquarters, designed by engineer William Jenney. His design would literally change the shape of the nation’s cities. Jenney conceived a building using a metal frame for support, with the walls hung like curtains on the frame. Previously, walls supported the building, limiting the height that could be safely reached. Soon, skyscrapers using Jenney’s idea sprang up across the country and today dominate city skylines around the world. Each year, the building construction industry in the U.S. erects more than $266 billion worth of nonresidential buildings. Profile America is beginning its 16thyear as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Discuss and more on today’s Open Lines!