Manhattan’s earliest tall buildings mapped in new exhibition

In New York City, new developments are constantly in the works, further altering the ever-changing skyline. It’s difficult to keep track of Manhattan’s many buildings but a new map has gotten a pretty good start by undertaking a huge project that involved examining every building, 10 stories or taller, constructed in Manhattan between 1874 through 1900.

The idea to take on such an ambitious task was born from the discovery of research collected by historian and engineer Donald Freidman, on the city’s earliest tall buildings and the structural systems they used. It was intended to just be a web project but grew into a full exhibition, entitled TEN & TALLER, MANHATTAN 1874 - 1900.

The Skyscraper Museum

The exhibition, now on display at the Skyscraper Museum in Battery Park City, also has a web component that allows users to explore 250 of Manhattan’s earliest residential, office, and commercial buildings from the comfort of their home. The interactive map color-codes the buildings by their type and purpose and offers blurbs that detail the history of the building. There is also a nifty grid view that organizes the buildings by the year that they were constructed.

Check out the map for yourself and learn about the history of New York City’s first tall buildings. The exhibition will be on display at the Skyscraper Museum until April 2017.

• TEN & TALLER: 1874 TO 1900 [Official]