Smith Tower

Smith Tower is a tall building, or skyscraper, in the Pioneer Square area of Seattle, Washington. It was finished in 1914 and had 38 stories and reached 462 feet (141 meters) high. When it was built, it was one of the tallest buildings in the United States outside of New York City.

For many years, Smith Tower was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. It held this record until a new building in Kansas City was finished in 1931. Even longer, it stayed the tallest building on the U.S. West Coast until the famous Space Needle was built in 1962.

The tower is named after Lyman Cornelius Smith, a man who made weapons and typewriters. However, after Lyman Smith died in 1910, his son Burns Lyman Smith mostly took charge of building it. The Smith family owned the tower until the 1940s. It was first called the L.C. Smith Building but changed its name to Smith Tower in 1929. Today, it is a special landmark in Seattle.

History

Conception and design

After the Klondike Gold Rush, many people from the East were very interested in Seattle. A lawyer named James Clise helped many people from places like New York and Boston buy land and build offices in the city. One of his big clients was Lyman Cornelius Smith from Syracuse, New York and his brother Wilbert Lewis Smith. They bought and developed many buildings in Seattle's Pioneer Square area.

In 1909, Lyman Smith started planning a tall building for this area. His son, Burns Lyman Smith, convinced him to build an even taller skyscraper to be the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. They chose an architecture firm from Syracuse to design the tower. The plan changed many times, but finally, the Smith Tower was planned to be very tall, with 42 floors.

Construction and opening

Construction began in 1911. Workers dug deep holes to make sure the ground was strong enough. They built the foundation and then started putting up the steel frame. There were some problems, like a big crane falling, but no one was hurt.

The building was finished in 1914 and opened on July 4. Many people came to see it, and a special room called the Chinese Room was very famous. It had special furniture that was once used by an important person from China.

Sales and renovations

Over the years, different people and companies owned the building. It was renovated a few times to keep it up-to-date. In 2015, new owners changed some parts of the building, including closing the Chinese Room and opening a new restaurant in its place. Visitor tours started again in 2016, and the building continues to be a famous part of Seattle today.

Description

Smith Tower is an example of neoclassical architecture. Its outer skin is granite on the first and second floors, and terracotta on the rest. The exterior has been washed only once in 1976.

The building was one of the last on the West Coast to employ elevator operators. The Otis Elevator Company provided the elevators, which have brass surfaces. The elevators were updated and modernized beginning in 2017, for faster service time and safety, with new glass doors still allowing riders a view into the hallways and lobbies.

After restoration in the early 1990s, workers removed a large water tank in the top of the tower. The space, along with a former maintenance area, became a three-story penthouse, the only home in the building. It was occupied in 2010 by a family of four. The penthouse apartment was listed for rent in 2021 for $17,000 per month.

The building is topped with an 8-foot-wide (2.4 m) glass dome lit by blue light, except during December when it changes to green.

In popular culture

In 2012, the lead singer of the band Death Cab for Cutie made a tribute to Smith Tower in one of his songs called "Teardrop Windows".