Smith Tower, Neoclassical skyscraper in Pioneer Square, Seattle, US
Smith Tower is a 38-story neoclassical skyscraper rising 462 feet (141 m) in Seattle. Its lower two floors are clad in granite, the rest in white terracotta, and a pale green pyramidal roof with dormer windows tops the tower. The 35th floor holds the Chinese Room and an observation deck.
Lyman Cornelius Smith, a Syracuse typewriter and firearms magnate, bought the odd-shaped Wirth Corner lot at Yesler Way and Second Avenue in 1899. His son Burns Lyman Smith pushed for a tower tall enough to surpass Tacoma's National Realty Building, and the 462-foot skyscraper opened on July 3, 1914, after L.C. had died in 1910. It stood as the tallest building west of the Mississippi until Kansas City's Power & Light Building rose in 1931, and remained the West Coast's tallest until the Space Needle opened in 1962.
The Chinese Room on the 35th floor takes its furnishings and ceiling decoration from China. Among the pieces is a hand-carved wooden chair associated with a local wedding custom. The room sits beside the observation deck and is counted among the building's sights.
Access to the observation deck is by way of eight original brass-trimmed elevators operated by attendants who add a personal touch to your visit. Plan for a leisurely ride as these manually operated lifts move at their own pace, which is part of the building's character.
The eight elevators are entirely manual and retain their original mechanical systems from when the building opened. These working machines offer visitors a rare glimpse into early 20th-century elevator technology and craftsmanship.
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