Home Insurance Building

Chicago’s Home Insurance Building, designed by William Le Baron Jenney and opened in 1885, is widely regarded as the world’s first skyscraper and a turning point in modern high-rise construction. Rising initially to ten stories before expanding to twelve, it was significant chiefly for its fireproof metal skeleton, which supported the building’s weight and reduced the need for heavy load-bearing masonry. That lighter, more efficient system helped make greater height practical in a dense commercial district and influenced later building practice. Though earlier iron-framed precedents existed, this building became the best-known early example of skeleton construction before its demolition in 1931.

Chicago, Illinois · United States