Vintage Images of Singer Building in New York

The Singer Building was a 47-story office building (612 feet / 187 meters above Broadway) in Lower Manhattan (149 Broadway), on the northwest corner of Liberty Street and Broadway. It was constructed in steel frame, limestone trim and red brick, from 1906 to May 1908. It had an observation platform on the top. Ernest Flagg was the architect. It was the headquarters of the Singer Manufacturing Company.

The original 10-story Singer Building was erected between 1897 and 1898.

It was the tallest building in the world from 1908 to 1909, when it was surpassed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower in New York.

The Singer Company announced plans to move its headquarters to Midtown, in 1961, and sold the building in 1963. It was demolished from August 1967 to 1968, being the world’s tallest building ever to be peacefully demolished. The 54-story U.S. Steel Building (now One Liberty Plaza) took its place.

Illustration featuring the tallest buildings in the world, published by The Singer Manufacturing Company in 1906. Note: the Eiffel Tower, completed in 1889 (984 ft), was not considered to be a "building" here, but it was the tallest structure in the world until 1909, when it was surpassed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower in New York.

Interior architecture of west end of main corridor of the Singer Building, with marble columns. The bronze-cased Master Clock is seen on the stairs (source: University of California).