The Flatiron Building

The Flatiron Building was completed in 1902 from a design by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. The 22-story, 285-foot skyscraper was one of the early buildings to employ a steel frame upon which the exterior walls were hung, a practice developed by George A. Fuller (1851-1900) that is now universal in construction of tall buildings. Burnham's Beaux-Arts limestone and terra-cotta facade is arranged like a classical Greek column into three distinct sections.

The Flatiron building was built by Fuller's company after his death and named the Fuller Building in his honor. However, it's novel triangular shape resembled a clothes iron, leading to a popular moniker that eventually stuck and became official.

The building was given National Historic Landmark status by the National Park Service in 1989.