Home Insurance Building

The Home Insurance Building was built in 1885 in Chicago, Illinois and demolished in 1931 to make way for the Field Building (now the LaSalle National Bank). It was the first building entirely supported by an iron and steel frame, so is considered the first skyscraper. It had 10 stories and rose to a height of 138 feet (42m) high. The steel frame liberated the exterior walls from supporting the building, the walls were instead thin curtain walls.

Related Topics:
1885 - Chicago - Illinois - 1931 - LaSalle National Bank - Iron - Steel - Curtain walls

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The architect was William LeBaron Jenney, an engineer. In fact the building weighed only one-third as much as a stone building would have; city officials were so concerned that they halted construction while they investigated its safety. The Home Insurance Building is an example of the Chicago School in architecture.

Related Topics:
William LeBaron Jenney - Chicago School - Architecture

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In 1890, two additional floors were built on top of the original 10-story building.

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