A SKYSCRAPER INTHE GREEN MOUNTAINS?

What is the tallest building in your town? Howabout in the state of Vermont? Today, it might behard to tell. There are so many new buildings going up.

In 1930, however, one building slOod out as thetallest in the state - the Service building on MerchantsRow in downtown Rutland. This was Vermont'sonly skyscraper, towering seven stories high, with anoverall height of 101 feet.

We tend to think of our state as the home of cowsand barns, but not of tall buildings. In fact, we maytake trips to big cities 10 see tall buildings. So, manypeople are surprised to learn that Vermont, too, hasa skyscraper. The Service building was modeled afterbig-city skyscrapers like New York's Empire StateBuilding, even though it has only seven storiescompared with the Empire State's 102 stories. In the1920s and 1930s, Americans were excited aboutskyscrapers and marveled as each new buildingclimbed higher than the last.

Actually, the Service building broke two modestrecords of its own. It topped the Mead Block, whichhad been the highest building in Rutland, by twostories, and it bested Montpelier's National Lifebuilding, then the highest in the state, by a slOry.

The tale of the Service building is also the tale ofCarl B. Hinsman. In 1891, Hinsman was eighteenyears old and had just graduated from Rutland CityHigh School. He went to work as a mechanic for theHowe Scale Company. He was steadily promoted, firstto paymaster, then to treasurer, vice-president and,finally, president. Along the way, he found time tobecome president of a bank, serve in Rutland citygovernment and the state senate, and volunteer histime with the Boy Scouts.

By 1928 he was a successful businessman. Hewanted 10 erect a building that would attract atten­tion and that the City of Rutland could be proud of.With his new office building, Hinsman felt that he

was performing a service for the community_ So, henamed it the Service building. This was his way ofthanking the city for his success.

&rvic~ building, buill in 1930 by architects Hutchins and French. Sevenstories. 101 feet. Its fashionable Art Deco style has narrow shaftsbetween the windows and an arrow design in the brick of the upper story.These decorations foollhee~ and make the buildingseem taller than it is.

He worked with his architects to make the buildingup-to-date, stylish, and full of modern conveniencesthat most buildings at this time did not have, suchas elevators, mail chutes, and the latest in fireprotection. It was designed and decorated in thefashionable Art Deco style, which was popular in citieslike New York and Chicago. The front of the buildinghas long, vertical brick panels, like stripes, that makeit appear taller and narrower than it is. There is apyramid on top to make it look still higher.

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Carl B. Hinsman, the owner of the Service building, would have agreedheartily with the message in this 19205 broadsheet. What does it meanthai cities are "'buill?"

On top of the pyramid, there was once an amberglass globe that shone brightly at night. Why put alight on top of the building? Airplanes did not haveradar in the 19308 and pilots had to find their wayby sight. After dark, it was easy for airplanes to getlost. Pilots approaching Rutland could tell where theywere by using this light as a navigation beacon.

When the Service building was completed in Marchof 1930, the Rutland Herald newspaper called it

"impressive in design . .. and ultra modern." CarlB. Hinsman was proud of what he had done. Hewanted Rutland to grow into a great city. He felt thatby building his skyscraper he had brought a taste ofthe big city to Vermont.

Empire State Building, built in 1931 by architects Shreve, Lamb, andHarmon. 102 stories, 1.250 feet. This sleek tower with its step-like fonnis typical of skyscrapers built in the 19205 and 19305.

VOCABULARY

compare - to examinemarvel - to fill with curiosityarchitect - person who designs buildingsconveniences - things that save work, add to comfortvertical - uprightpyramid - a four-sided triangular formamber - yellowish-brown colornavigation - charting a course

BUILDING THE BIG-CITYGIANTS

In the mid-nineteenth century, almost allbuildings were one, two, or three slories,and the highest buildings in Vermont townswere the churches. In most Vermont towns,this is still true. In the big cities outside ofVermont, as the cost of space rose and thenumber of people increased, it made senseto construct higher buildings that couldhouse and provide work space for lots ofpeople and still only take up the street roomof a single-story building.

Early builders of tall buildings facedmany obstacles. One was a building's abilityto support its own weight as upper floorswere added. In the nineteenth century, thetaller a building was, the thicker its wallshad to be. As buildings rose higher, thewalls became thicker and thicker to sup­port the weight of the floors above. Butthick walls took up too much space.

In the twentieth century, this problemwas solved by constructing a skeleton orframework of steel to hold up a skyscraper.Now the steel skeleton instead of the wallheld up the weight of the building. The Ser­vice building is made in this way.

It took strong and skilled men to buildskyscrapers. Not only did they have toassemble the heavy steel frames, they hadto do it high above the ground. Theyworked without safety nets or lifelines.Some were killed in accidents. The Servicebuilding is small compared to otherskyscrapers, yet two men feU to their deathswhile working on it.

THANKS TO ELISHAGRAVES OTIS, YOU DON'T

HAVE TO WALK UP THESTAIRS!

Early architects of tall buildings facedanother big obstacle. What good was a ten­story building if no one would live or workin it! Architects felt that many people wouldnot use these buildings because there weretoo many stairs to climb. Would you usestairs to get to the top of the seven-storyService building? How about the I02-storyEmpire State Building? How long do youthink that would take you?

There had to be a better way to movepeople from story to story. It is ironic thata man from Halifax, Vermont, which hadno buildings higher than three stories,solved this difficult problem. Elisha GravesOtis invented the Otis safety elevator anddemonstrated it in 1853 at the New YorkCrystal Palace Exhibit, a world's fair. Inthe years ahead, his invention caught on.The Service building, which is pictured inthis issue, has an Otis elevator.

VOCABULARY

obstacles - things that stand in the wayassemble - put togetherironic - the opposite of what it seems