40 Wall Street

With anti-Trump protests erupting in America’s urban centers, here is a building in New York City that many do not know is owned by Donald Trump: 40 Wall Street. You know this building downtown, with the green pyramidal roof, but do you know its secrets?

10. 40 Wall Street Was the World’s Tallest Building (for Just Two Months)

At 927 feet, 40 Wall Street was intended to be the world’s tallest building upon completion in 1930 and had nearly one million square feet of office space. But the architect of 40 Wall Street, Craig Severance, was a bitter rival (and former best friend) to Chrysler Building architect, William Van Alen. Both were attempting to surpass the height of the Woolworth Building, then the world’s tallest, and both were making changes and adding height as the rivalry unfolded during the construction of both buildings.

40 Wall Street was initially to be 47 stories, then 63, then finally 71 stories. The building held the title for world’s tallest for only two months. Then, Van Alen pulled out his most show stopping move: a 197-foot spire that was under construction secretly inside the building. The Chrysler Building then overtook 40 Wall Street as the world’s tallest.