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 CityRate this post 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 by […]