Woolworth Building

The Woolworth Building is a 57-storey skyscraper in New York City. Although completed a hundred years ago in 1913, it is one of the oldest and most famous skyscrapers in New York City, and remains one of the twenty tallest buildings in the city.

The Woolworth Building was constructed in the neo-Gothic style. Its architect was Cass Gilbert, who was commissioned by Frank Woolworth in 1910 to design his company's new corporate headquarters, to be located on Broadway, between Park Place and Barclay Street in Lower Manhattan, opposite City Hall. The Woolworth Building opened on April 24, 1913, in a ceremony officiated by President Woodrow Wilson, who did so by pressing a button in Washington DC to light up the building in New York City. Although originally planned to be 625 feet (190.5 meters) high, the building ended up at to 792 feet (241 meters). It cost US$13,500,000 and Woolworth paid for it in cash.

Woolworth Building, New York City
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Woolworth_Building.jpg
Author: Samuel.north


During the opening ceremony, the Reverend S. Parkes Cadman called it the Cathedral of Commerce. It was at that time the tallest building in the world. The Woolworth Building held that title until 1930, when 40 Wall Street, the Chrysler Building, and Empire State Building all took over the title in rapid succession.

The Woolworth company owned the Woolworth Building for 85 years until 1998, when the Venator Group (successor to the F.W. Woolworth Company) sold it to the Witkoff Group for $155 million. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks a few blocks away, the Woolworth Building was without electricity and telephone service for a few weeks but suffered no significant damage.

The Woolworth Building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.

Getting there

Take the N or R train to City Hall Subway Station, or the E train to the World Trade Center Subway Station, or the 2 or 3 train to the Park Place Subway Station and walk from there.

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