History of New York SkyscrapersThe World Building – 1890The World Building (also known as the Pulitzer Building) was originally owned by Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World. Its architect was George B. Post and construction began on October 10, 1889. It was dedicated on December 10, 1890 and was the first building in New York to exceed 284 feet. The New York World Building was the tallest of the high-rise buildings built for major newspapers in the late 19th century. The number of stories is disputed; estimates range from the 26 stories claimed by Le Monde to the 16 or 18 suggested by recent researchers. The World Building was 309 feet tall and was demolished in 1955 to expand the automobile entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. The company held a competition for its headquarters, selecting architects Kimball and Thompson as winners. The structure was supposed to be the tallest in New York. The building featured some early techniques designed by engineer Charles Sooysmith. The interior was heated and cooled using one of the first uses of electric ventilation. Manhattan Life was demolished in 1930 to make way for the Irving Trust Bank headquarters, the masterpiece One Wall Street.St. Paul Building – 1898This building owes its name to the historic Saint-Paul chapel located across the street. The Saint-Paul building was built in 1895 and was 96 meters high. The building was opened in 1898 and its general contractor was Robinson & Wallace. The St Paul's Building was called by a critic of the time "perhaps the least attractive design of all the skyscrapers in New York". The Park Row – 1899 Building originally owned by William Mills Ivins, the head of the investment syndicate. The building was built in 1896 and its construction took three years. The building is 118 meters high and its architect is RH Robertson. The building is 30 stories tall, the interior can accommodate up to 1,000 offices, and its engineer was Nathaniel Roberts. The Park Row Building still stands today across from City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan. Singer Building – 1908 The Singer Building was built in 1906 and opened in 1908. Architect Ernest Flagg's first design was a thirty-five-story tower, but the company soon decided to nearly double that height with a tower of almost 600 feet.