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@miawintam
Today I walked past my favorite building in NYC: the Woolworth Building. I wrote an essay on it in grad school and still love its story. F.W. Woolworth, the “five-and-dime” magnate, finished the tower in 1913. for 17 years it was the world’s tallest building. architect Cass Gilbert designed the limestone facade with ornately engraved neo-gothic details. Its twin turrets and their turquoise crowns is a nod to london’s Houses of Parliament, earning it the nickname “Cathedral of Commerce.” Woolworth was a rags-to-riches story: he rose from poverty to become one of America’s first billionaires. He chose the Broadway and Park Place site for maximum visibility. you can spot it from the Brooklyn Bridge. It was also very important to him to “win” the race for Manhattan’s tallest skyscraper. He died suddenly of an infected tooth in 1919; he never signed the will he drafted. He left his fortune to a family he’d largely neglected. His wife suffered from chronic depression and died soon after; one daughter died by suicide, another was financially exploited by 7 husbands and gambled much of her inheritance. I love this building because it is beautiful, and because it is a physical manifestation of both the glamour and the rot behind the American dream. If you want a clear view of both towers, visit the small public courtyard in the back. It’s especially wonderful at night when it’s lit up by lights.
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mysticaltech
@mysticaltech
such a beautiful post
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