What is Smith Tower in Seattle?
Jul 01, 2004 · When Seattle's pyramid-capped Smith Tower officially opened on July 4, 1914, its greatest claim to fame was its 462-foot height. It was originally one of the tallest buildings in the country outside of New York, and was the tallest west of Ohio.
When was the first skyscraper built in Seattle?
On July 4, 1914, the 462-foot-high Smith Tower, located in downtown Seattle, is officially opened by its owner, Burns Lyman Smith (1880-1941). Located at 506 2nd Avenue, the building has taken three and a half years to construct. The Smith Tower is built with 1,400 doors, 2,000 windows, and 40,000 feet of molding.
Where is the oldest building in Seattle Washington?
In 1914, Smith Tower became the first skyscraper in Seattle and the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. For more than one hundred years, it has remained a cultural icon of the city, offering breathtaking, panoramic views and spectacular architectural beauty. Today, it features a unique visitor experience including a ground-floor gathering place with gifts, souvenirs, and …
Will Smith Tower be the third tallest office building in the world?
Jun 03, 2016 · Dreamed up by Syracuse typewriter and firearm magnate L.C. Smith, the building, constructed in 1914, still cuts a striking figure on Seattle’s skyline. From …

How old is the Smith Tower Seattle?
108Smith Tower / Age (c. 1914)
What's the oldest building in Seattle?
Ward HouseThe Ward House is a house on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. Having been built in 1882, it is one of the oldest houses in Seattle....Ward House (Seattle)Ward House, 2007Location520 E. Denny Way Seattle, WashingtonBuilt1882Architectural styleVictorianSignificant dates8 more rows
Does anyone live in the Smith Tower?
The Legends of Smith Tower - Petra Franklin, the woman who lives at the top of the Smith Tower with her two daughters, often hosts gatherings like lectures and concerts for the public. You can check Tower Sessions to see when a concert might take place.Sep 25, 2018
What was the first tallest building in Seattle?
The Alaska Building, completed in 1904 and rising 203 feet (62 m) above 2nd Avenue in Pioneer Square, is considered to be Seattle's first skyscraper and first steel-framed high-rise building.
Is Seattle built on top of old Seattle?
Seattle, Washington, has a secret underground city that burned down in 1889. The city was then rebuilt on top of the old ruins, which are still open to tours today.
Where is the oldest house in America?
The Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts is a historic house built ca. 1641, making it the oldest surviving timber-frame house in North America that has been verified by dendrochronology testing....Fairbanks House (Dedham, Massachusetts)Significant datesDesignated NHLOctober 9, 196012 more rows
How many floors does the Smith Tower have?
38Smith Tower / Floors
Who is Petra Franklin?
Petra Franklin Lahaie may be known in tech circles as a venture capitalist. But the 46-year-old is probably better known as the person who lives atop the Smith Tower, the Seattle landmark which once claimed the title of the tallest building on the West Coast.Oct 21, 2010
Is the Montana a real building in Seattle?
Located in the fictional Elliott Bay Towers, the three-bedroom, three-bath luxury condo has view of the Space Needle and Seattle skyline so amazing, it's no surprise that it's entirely fictional. The backdrop image used was actually taken at Kerry Park and would be impossible from any real condo.Sep 10, 2018
Who owns the Smith Tower in Seattle?
Goldman SachsThe purchase is part of a nearly $750 million portfolio of buildings being acquired in the Seattle and Denver areas.Oct 23, 2018
How long was the Smith Tower the tallest building in Seattle?
In 1914, Smith Tower became the first skyscraper in Seattle and the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. For more than one hundred years, it has remained a cultural icon of the city, offering breathtaking, panoramic views and spectacular architectural beauty.
When was the Columbia tower in Seattle built?
1982Columbia Center / Construction started
How tall is the Smith Tower?
When Seattle's pyramid-capped Smith Tower officially opened on July 4, 1914, its greatest claim to fame was its 462-foot height. It was originally one of the tallest buildings in the country outside of New York, and was the tallest west of Ohio. This territorial hegemony steadily shrank as higher buildings marched westward: By 1923 it was the tallest west of Chicago, by 1931 the tallest west of Kansas City, and by 1943 the tallest west of Dallas, but it did remain the tallest building west of the Rockies for nearly half a century. At birth it was nearly twice as tall as the previously highest building in town (the 247-foot clock tower of the King Street Station), but by 1985 it was less than half the height of the 937-foot Bank of America Tower (originally Columbia Center.)
How many stories are there in the Smith Tower?
One could reasonably conclude that the Smith Tower had 36 stories when it opened, counting the odd 34th floor that was not meant for human occupancy. Decades later, a caretaker's apartment was built on the 36th floor, and its top could be considered floor number 37.
Who was the first person to visit Seattle?
It was more a product of New York than of Seattle, a supremely optimistic gesture by Lyman Cornelius Smith, a Syracuse industrialist, and his son, Burns Lyman Smith, who first visited Seattle in 1888, and later convinced his father to see the city for himself. L. C. had prospered making fine shotguns (under his own name and the names of others, ...
How tall is the Seattle building?
Plans on file with Seattle's Department of Planning and Development reveal that the building is about 462 feet tall (the drawings are not fully dimensioned, and some scaling is required), using standard definitions of height which do not include flagpoles as part of the calculation.
What was the first skyscraper?
Historical significance: It has been called one of the world's first skyscrapers. Chicago's Home Insurance Building , generally considered to be the first skyscraper, was completed 30 years before the Smith Tower.
When was the Seattle Times building built?
From its conception in 1909 to a renovation that wrapped up in 2016 , take a look (via Seattle Times archives) at this storied piece of the city’s history. November 1909: Smith, who made his fortune in the typewriter business, told The Seattle Daily Times (as The Seattle Times was then known) he planned to construct an 18-story building on Second ...
When did Unico buy Smith Tower?
The building was about 80 percent vacant, and losing money. June 2016: Unico Properties purchased the tower in January 2015. In June of the following year, it announced plans to reopen Smith Tower’s famous 35th floor and add a speakeasy.
When was the Seattle World's Fair built?
Construction. Space Needle and various buildings for the Seattle World's Fair under construction, 1961. Edward F. Carlson, chairman of the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle, had an idea for erecting a tower with a restaurant at the World's Fair.
When was the Space Needle completed?
Completed Space Needle after the opening of the World's Fair - April 1962.
What was the name of the instrument used at the 1964 World's Fair?
An imitation carillon (using recordings of bells, rather than live bells) was installed in the Space Needle, and played several times a day during the World's Fair. The instrument, built by the Schulmerich Bells Company of Hatfield, Pennsylvania under the name "Carillon Americana," recreated the sounds of 538 bells and was the largest in the world, until eclipsed by a 732 bell instrument at the 1964 New York World's Fair. The operator's console was located in the base of the Space Needle, completely enclosed in glass to allow observation of the musician playing the instrument. It was also capable of being played from a roll, like a player piano. The forty-four stentors (speakers) of the carillon were located underneath the Needle's disc at the 200-foot (61 m) level, and were audible over the entire fairgrounds and up to ten miles (16 km) away. The carillon was disassembled after the fair's close.
How tall is the Space Needle?
At approximately 605 ft (18 4 m), the Space Needle was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at the time it was built by Howard S. Wright Construction Co., but is now dwarfed by other structures along the Seattle skyline, among them the Columbia Center, at 967 ft (295 m).
Where is the Space Needle?
The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States . Considered to be an icon of the city and the Pacific Northwest, it has been designated a Seattle landmark.
Who designed the space needle?
The architecture of the Space Needle is the result of a compromise between the designs of two men, Edward E. Carlson and John Graham, Jr.
What is the Space Needle fireworks show?
Every year on New Year's Eve, the Space Needle celebrates with a fireworks show at midnight that is synchronized to music. Alberto Navarro, a fireworks artist from Bellevue, is the lead architect of the show, which is viewed by thousands from the Seattle Center grounds.