At one time, the greatest skyscraper in New York City was the The New York World Building, with its gilded dome and towering height -- eclipsing even Trinity Church as Manhattan’s tallest structure.

Yet, within a single lifetime, this masterpiece vanished, sacrificed to urban progress.

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Why New York's Most Luxurious Gilded Age Skyscraper Hotel Was Destroyed: The Savoy-Plaza: [ Ссылка ]

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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
Chapter 1: The Dawn of the Newspaper Age
Chapter 2: A Monument to Media
Chapter 3: The Golden Age
Chapter 4: Decline and Fall
Chapter 5: The End of an Era

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Joseph Pulitzer stood at his desk, 26 stories above the bustling streets of 1890s Manhattan, surveying his domain through a dome inspired by St. Peter's Basilica.

The Hungarian immigrant who transformed American journalism had completed something unprecedented: a skyscraper that housed not just a newspaper, but a message in steel and stone.

In this episode of *Old Money Mansions*, we explore how the story of its rise and fall mirrors the arc of American journalism itself, from its golden age to an uncertain future.

The late 19th century saw a revolution in American journalism, as newspapers became dominant forces in public life.

In New York City, this transformation extended to architecture, with rival publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst competing not only in circulation but in the grandeur of their headquarters.

Pulitzer’s *New York World* rose to prominence after he purchased it in 1883, and by 1889, he envisioned a building that would cement his paper's role at the heart of New York’s political and cultural life.

Architect George B. Post, renowned for innovations like the Equitable Life Building, embraced the challenge of designing a structure that would symbolize journalism’s power while accommodating the technological demands of a modern newspaper.

Located at 53–63 Park Row, the World Building rose 26 stories, crowned by a dome inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica, with a gilded Minerva atop.

The steel-frame construction and terra-cotta cladding represented cutting-edge engineering, while features like pneumatic tubes and high-speed elevators showcased innovation.

When it opened in 1890, it was a marvel, blending functionality with symbolism.

Pulitzer’s private office in the dome embodied the press's watchdog role, overlooking City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge.

The World Building became a beacon of journalism’s golden age, reflecting Pulitzer’s motto: “Progress and reform.”

It stood as the epicenter of *Newspaper Row*, where great events were chronicled, and citizens gathered to read breaking news.

But by the 1920s, the media landscape changed.

The rise of radio, economic pressures, and the Great Depression weakened the *World*, and in 1931 it ceased publication.

The building passed to new owners, but its fate was sealed in 1953 when Robert Moses's infrastructure expansion called for the site.

By 1955, the World Building was demolished to make way for the Brooklyn Bridge entrance ramp.

Its loss marked a shift in priorities, as automotive infrastructure replaced architectural heritage.

Today, only fragments of the World Building remain—its cornerstone and a stained-glass window at Columbia University’s School of Journalism.

Its absence serves as a cautionary tale about the cost of modernization and the fragility of cultural landmarks.

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