May 27: Chrysler Building Opens to the Public
Prayer Idea
Pray for people who build and work in tall buildings.
History Note
Walter P. Chrysler was born in 1875 in Kansas. Like his father, he started working for railroad companies. He then became fascinated with automobiles. He took apart his first car, a 1908 Locomobile, and put it back together to understand how it worked.
Chrysler worked for General Motors (GM) and made major improvements to that company’s manufacturing process. He left to join another car company and introduced the Chrysler Six model in 1924. It was so successful that the company Chrysler worked for was reorganized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925.
In 1929 Walter Chrysler began constructing a new skyscraper in New York City. Designed in the Art Deco style by William Van Alen, it remains a striking example of American architecture. When it opened to the public on May 27, 1930, it was the tallest building in the world at 1,048 feet. It held that title for less than a year, until the Empire State Building was completed nearby in 1931.
This photo by Irving Underhill shows the Chrysler Building in New York City in 1930. Image courtesy the Library of Congress.
Learn More
Get a look inside the spire of the Chrysler Building.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
