This is part one of a four part series of pre-war building lists. The second part is a
continuation of this list to smaller cities . The other two parts in this series, covering New York and Chicago, are linked below each city.
I am a fan of pre-war buildings, their ornamentation, and their seeming sense of solidity next to the glass boxes of more recent decades. I also find old inner cities before suburbanization fascinating, and the year 1950 combines both of these topics. In that year, most cities' skylines were practically identical to 1932/1933, as the building halt from the Depression lingered on. (There were exceptions, notably Boston and Dallas.) The Census of 1950 was the high mark for most of the Northeast and Midwest's industrial metropolises as well. Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, D.C., Rochester, and Boston all had their greatest city limit populations in 1950.
So as an exhibit of that notable year, I have collected pictures of the tallest buildings from each of the largest cities, ordered by 1950 population. The figures can be found at
the Census Bureau.
I haven't included New York City's tallest. The Big Apple's pre-war skyscrapers IMO are on such another level in terms of height and fame they merit their own post. Also on a separate post are the Chicago skyscrapers due to their number and familiarity.
I love skyscrapers but I'm no expert on them, so if I have made an error feel free to point it out. Also, based on whether you include spires, the ranking of some of the buildings can shift. Personally, my interest in older buildings were sparked by childhood trips to Chicago and St. Louis. I recall being entranced by the old brick giants and their sense of history.
I also have a Canadian list in case the Queen is on your money.
First, a few world leaders in 1950.
POTUS - Harry S Truman
Prime Minister of Canada - Louis St. Laurent
King of Great Britain - George VI
Prime Minister of Great Britain - Clement Atlee
Chancellor of West Germany - Konrad Adenauer
Leader of Spain - Francisco Franco
President of France - Vincent Auriol
Leader of the Soviet Union - Joseph Stalin
Leader of the PR China - Mao Zedong
Prime Minister of India - Jawaharlal Nehru
The Cities:
#1. Of course,
New York, with 7,891,957 in the five boroughs. New York also had the tallest buildings, but we all know that.
Here is the list of New York's skyscrapers.
#2. Chicago, 3,620,962 (historical high)
Here is Chicago's list.
#3. Philadelphia, 2,071,605 (historical high)
1) Philadelphia City Hall, 548 ft, 1901
Billy Penn is a little over halfway through the Gentlemen’s Agreement.
(Philadelphia Reflections)
2) PSFS Building, 492 ft, 1932
The first International Style skyscraper in the States, and a sign of buildings to come...
(Phillyskyline.com)
3) Pennsylvania National Bank Building, 482 ft, 1932
(Thatroof.com)
4) Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company Building, 405 ft, 1927
Today known as the Wachovia Building
(Flickr)
5) Girard Trust Building, 394 ft, 1930
Today the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia
(skyscrapersunset.com)
6) Lewis Tower, 389 ft, 1929
Today a condo tower named Aria
(Wikimedia)
7) The Drake, 375 ft, 1929
(city-data.com)
8) Medical Tower, 364 ft, 1931
(Flickr)
9) Market Street National Bank Building, 347 ft, 1930
Now Residence Inn Philadelphia Center City
(pegs.com)
10) Land Title & Trust Block, 345 ft, 1902
(skyscrapersunset.com)
#4. Los Angeles, 1,970,358
L.A. is the only city in 1950’s top ten not in the Northeast or Midwest! The Sun Belt’s boom was just starting…
1) Los Angeles City Hall, 454 ft, 1927
(inetours.com)
2) LAC/USC Medical Center, 1933
(USC)
3) Richfield Tower, 1929
This building was demolished in 1969, sparking a local preservation movement.
(USC)
4) Eastern Columbia Building, 264 ft, 1930
(you-are-here.com)
5) U.S. Post Office & Court House, 256 ft, 1940
(you-are-here.com)
#5. Detroit, 1,849,568 (historical high)
1) Penobscot Building, 565 ft to the roof, 1928
(detroitbankruptcylawyer.com)
2) Guardian Building, 495 ft, 1929
(johnmars.com)
3) Book Tower, 475 ft, 1926
(downriverdetroit.net)
4) Fisher Building, 444 ft to spire, 1928
(Detroit Travel Guide)
5) J.L. Hudson Department Store, 439 ft, 1927
Demolished in 1998
(Detroityes.com)
6) Cadillac Tower, 438 ft to roof, 1927
(downriverdetroit.net)
7) David Stott Building, 437 ft, 1929
(Detroit Travel Guide)
8) David Broderick Tower, 369 ft, 1928
(Flickr)
9) Buhl Building, 366 ft, 1925
(semcog.org)
10) Book-Cadillac Hotel, 349 ft, 1924
(sitewizard.biz)
#6. Baltimore, 949,708 (historical high)
1) Baltimore Trust Company Building, 509 ft, 1924
Now the Bank of America Building
(Beyonddc.com)
2) Tower Building, 330 ft, 1912
Demolished in the 1980s
(kilduffs.com)
3) Silo Point, 299 ft, 1923
A modern high rise around a 1920s grain elevator! The picture is the modern complex.
(baltimoregrows.com)
4) Baltimore Gas & Electric Building, 289 ft, 1916
(beyonddc.com)
5) Emerson Tower, 289 ft, 1911
(spearsvotta.com)
6) Radisson Plaza Hotel, 289 ft, 1928
(F. Scott Fitzgerald Society)
#7. Cleveland, 914,808 (historical high)
1) Terminal Tower, 708 ft to the roof, 1930
The tallest building in the world at the time outside of New York.
(Wikimedia)
(Photobucket, courtesy of FerrariEnzo)
2) Ohio Bell Building, 364 ft, 1927
Now the AT&T Huron Road
(clevelandskyscrapers.com)
3) Huntington Bank Building, 289 ft, 1924
(pbase.com)
4) Standard Building, 282 ft, 1925
5) The Keith Building, 272 feet, 1922
6) Superior Building, 270 feet, 1922
7) Fenn Tower, 265 feet, 1921
8) Landmark Office Towers, 260 ft, 1930
#8. St. Louis, 856,796 (historical high)
1) Southwestern Bell Building, 397 ft, 1926
[IMG]
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/...g?v=1232420490 [/IMG]
(Flickr)
2) Civil Courts Building, 386 ft, 1929
(thomaspatrickdeaton.com)
3) Park Plaza, 310 ft, 1930
(roomsinstlouis.com)
4) Continental Building, 286 ft, 1930
(Wikimedia)
5) Railway Exchange Building, 277 ft, 1914
#9. Washington, D.C., 802,178 (historical high)
1) Old Post Office Building, 314 ft, 1899
(thedctraveler.com)
2) National Cathedral, 301 ft, 1907
(AmericanThings at WordPress)
3) United States Capitol, 288 ft, 1863
1863 is the year the crowning statue,
Freedom, was put in place.
(photohome.com)
#10. Boston, 801,444 (historical high)
1) Custom House Tower, 496 ft, 1915
(processwire.com)
2) John Hancock Building, 495 ft, 1947
(Flickr)
3) Federal Building & Post Office, 345 ft, 1931
(Boston College)
4) Suffolk County Courthouse, 330 ft, 1939
(Flickr)
5) New England Telephone & Telegraph Building, 298 ft, 1947
(bostonartdeco.org)
6) United Shoe Machinery Building, 298 ft, 1930
(bostonpreservation.org)
#11. San Francisco, 775,357
1) Russ Building, 435 ft, 1927
(russbuilding.info)
2) PacBell Building, 435 ft, 1925
(wclark.k12.in.us)
3) Shell Building, 378 ft, 1929
(Flickr)
4) 450 Sutter Building, 345 ft, 1929
(Wikimedia)
5) 225 Bush Street, 328 ft, 1922
(Flickr)
6) Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 315 ft, 1928
(alamedainfo.com)
7) Commercial Union Assurance Building, 308 ft, 1921
(Flickr)
(ggpht.com)
8) McAllister Tower, 308 ft, 1929
(Flickr)
9) San Francisco City Hall, 308 ft, 1915
(sfweekly.com)
10) Hunter-Dulin Building, 305 ft, 1927
(villagephotos.com)
11) The Mark Hopkins Hotel, 305 ft, 1925
(hubimg.com)
#12, Pittsburgh, 676,806 (historical high)
1) Gulf Building, 582 ft, 1932
(Flickr)
2) Cathedral of Learning, 535 ft, 1937
(photohome.com)
(UC) US Steel & Mellon Building, 522 ft, 1951
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
3) Grant Building, 485 ft, 1928
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
4) Koppers Building, 475 ft, 1929
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
5) First National Bank, 387 ft, 1912
Demolished 1970
(phlf.org)
6) Clark Building, 1928
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
7) The Lawyers Building, 1928
(Flickr)
8) Oliver Building, 347 ft, 1910
(Glass, Steel, and Stone)
9) Farmers Bank Building, 344 ft, 1902
Demolished in 1997
(usgwarchives.net)
10) Bell Telephone Building, 339 ft, 1923
(Emporis)
The list continues with more cities: Minneapolis, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Newark and far, far beyond...
Threaded Mode