March 23 1857 – The First Otis Elevator is Installed in New York City

March 23 1857 – The First Otis Elevator is Installed in New York City5 (100%) 1 vote The modern city is defined by tall steel buildings stretching hundreds of feet above the streets. Until March 23, 1857, skyscrapers were little more than a dream. The first Otis commercial passenger elevator, installed at 488 Broadway in New York City, created new levels of safety — and spurred architects and engineers to push future designs ever upward. The basic concept for a lifting mechanism using ropes first appeared during the 3rd century BCE. In most cases, these primitive elevators often amounted to a slab of sturdy, lightweight wood or stone drawn upward […]