The original Standard Oil Building was only ten stories tall, but in 1895, Kimball & Thompson added six new skeleton frame floors and a north extension to the building, making it 280 feet tall. - The Skyscraper Museum
Constructed, 1885
With the formation of the Standard Oil Trust, the Corporation needed a suitable headquarters. A premiere location in Lower Manhattan on Broadway was purchased and the first 10 story building was designed. The building was expanded several times as the company grew larger.
Renovation, 1928
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The major expansion happened after World War 1. The site was expanded to encompass more of the block. The building is notable as one of the first skyscrapers erected after the adoption of the new zoning code. The distinctive tower, one of the southernmost spires in the Manhattan skyline is loosely based on the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and was intended as a symbol of corporate power and a prominent element in the iconographic program of the building.