Home Insurance Building

The Home Insurance Building was a skyscraper that stood in Chicago from 1885 to its demolition in 1931. Originally ten stories and tall, it was designed by William Le Baron Jenney in 1884 and completed the next year. Two floors were added in 1891, bringing its now finished height to . It was the first tall building to be supported both inside and outside by a fireproof structural steel frame, though it also included reinforced concrete. It is considered the world's first skyscraper. History The building was designed in 1884 by Jenney for the Home Insurance Company. Construction began on May 1, 1884. Because of the building's unique architecture and weight-bearing frame, it is considered the world's first skyscraper. It had 10 stories and rose to a height of ; two additional floors were added in 1891, bringing the total to 12 floors, an unprecedented height at the time. The building weighed one-third as much as a masonry building and city officials were so concerned they halted construction while they investigated its safety.