What was the FIRST skyscraper in New York?.

• ID# 54.2 (reply to #54.1) - 5 Aug 1998
  Well, that may be a question providing differing responses, but an easy answer might be the Trinity Churches (of 1698 and 1846), the tallest structures of their time in New York -- but that's not probably the answer you're looking for...
  If a skyscraper is defined as a tall, skeleton-framed building having a passenger elevator, then the installment of the first "safe" elevator to the Haughwout Building in 1857 made it, quite naturally, the first such building, and an example for later high-rises.
  Just my nickel... ED
  • ID# 54.3 (reply to #54.2)
    From: Donald Friedman - 12 Aug 1998

    But the Haughwout building is six floors tall and has masonry bearing walls and wood joist floors, which makes it pretty hard to swallow as a skyscraper. The usual suspects are the first Equitable at 120 Broadway (1870 - 1912) which was only seven stories but had extensive metal framing, the Tribune building on Nassau Street (1875, I think , to ~1950) which had a clocktower that was ~150 feet high, the Tower building at 50 Broadway (1880 to ~1925) which had the first true skeleton frame (wrought iron) in the city, or for the modern fans, the American Surety building at 100 Broadway (1890 and still there) which had the first complete steel frame.
    This is one of those topics where everyone has their own opinion. My vote's for the Tower.