On This Day

By Princessa

In 1888, Architect Leroy S. Buffington patented the system for building skyscrapers using a metal skeleton frame. Although Buffington said he was the originator of this frame, which made building tall structures feasible, his claim to be the inventor of the skyscraper has been refuted. In fact, credit for the invention of the skyscraper lies with George A. Fuller (1851-1900), who worked on solving the problems of the load-bearing capacities of tall buildings. However, using the designs created by Harvey Ellis, Buffington played a pivotal role in refining the new method of construction.

Because of the need to rebuild after the devastating fire of 1871, the city of Chicago was the first to adopt the skyscraper as a regular part of the city landscape, including the first skyscraper ever, the Home Insurance Building. Chicago is also the site of the world's tallest building, the Sears Tower.