Building Spotlight: The Woolworth Building

Standing 792 feet tall, the Woolworth Building is truly one of NYC’s original masterpieces. When it was built in 1913, the Woolworth Building was the tallest in the world until it was replaced in 1930 by the Chrysler Building . Although the Woolworth Building can’t compete in height anymore (it’s now the 54th tallest building in the United States), it remains a legend based on the architectural skill behind it.

Nicknamed “The Cathedral of Commerce,” the building cost $13.5 million to build in 1913. If built today, the building would have cost over 324 million. At its grand opening on April 24th, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson illuminated the building by pressing a button in the White House.

The building’s namesake the Woolworths were a retail company who became famous for the first real “five and dime store” (better known as a variety store). The Woolworths owned the building until 1998 when the Witkoff Group bought possession of the building.

TSF spoke with Helen Post Curry, whose grandfather Cass Gilbert was the architect behind the iconic NYC location to find out what she loved the most about the building: “Architecture at its best should function to raise our spirits, and I think everyone would agree that the massing of the spaces, the level of craftsmanship, the use of materials and the obvious sense of humor displayed in the lobby of the Woolworth Building give us one the best examples of this.” You can still tour the Woolworth building today with 30, 60, or 90 minute tours.

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