Cass Gilbert, Skyscraper pioneer

Cass Gilbert Birth:

November 29, 1859 in Zanesville, Ohio

Cass Gilbert Death:
May 17, 1934

Cass Gilbert Education:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, 1878-1879

Important Buildings by Cass Gilbert:

• 1900: Broadway Chambers Building, New York City
• 1902: Essex County Courthouse, Newark, New Jersey
• 1904: Festival Hall and Art Building, St. Louis, Missouri
• 1905: , St. Paul
• 1907: US Custom House
• 1913: F.W. Woolworth Company Building, New York City
• 1915: Completed the Arkansas State Capitol Building
• 1917: Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, Ohio
• 1921: Detroit Public Library
• 1926: Plans for George Washington Bridge, New York
• 1928: New York Life Insurance Building
• 1935: U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington D.C.

Quotes by Cass Gilbert:

• "In conducting business (especially for the office) never forget that the greatest danger arises from cocksure pride."
• "Beware of over-confidence; especially in matters of structure."
• "It is only the young and callow and ignorant that admire rashness. Think before you speak. Know your subject."

^{-from Maxims for My Office Organization}

Related People:

• William LeBaron Jenney
• William Sullivan
• William Holabird

Why Cass Gilbert is Important:

Although Cass Gilbert's name is rarely mentioned today, he exercised enormous influence on the development of architecture in the United States. He is perhaps best known for his gothic skyscraper, the Woolworth Building, which was the world's tallest building at the time. Combining modern technologies with historic ideas, Gilbert designed numerous public buildings, including the state capitols of Minnesota, West Virginia, and Arkansas. He was consulting architect for the George Washington Bridge, which crosses the Hudson River in upper Manhattan, New York City.

(via About.com)