WASHINGTON, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 1: RAISING THE ROOF
Profile America — Wednesday, May 1st. Construction began on this date in 1884 in Chicago for a radical new building design — destined to be America's first skyscraper. It was the Home Insurance Company headquarters, designed by engineer William Jenney. Jenney's building used a metal frame for support, with the exterior walls hung like curtains on the frame. Previously, thick outer walls supported buildings, limiting the height that could be safely reached. Soon, skyscrapers using Jenney's method thrust up across the country and today dominate city skylines around the world. Each year, the building construction industry in the U.S. erects more than $309 billion worth of private nonresidential buildings. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.
Sources: Kane's Famous First Facts, 2098
U.S. Census Bureau, Value of Private Nonresidential Construction
Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov
SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
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